81 英翻中(以賽亞2章) WANTED: A PROPHET 尋求先知 8/6/2025

81 英翻中(以賽亞2章)                WANTED: A PROPHET                    尋求先知                8/6/2025

CHAPTER TWO  第二章                                                                                                                            Isaiah 1—6            以賽亞  1—6                                                                                                                  WANTED: A PROPHET  尋求先知

The first thing you must know about prophets is that their ministry focuses on the present as well as on the future. They “tell forth” the Word of God as well as “foretell” the works of God. True prophets are like good doctors: They diagnose the case, prescribe a remedy, and warn the patient what will happen if the prescription is ignored. (See Jer. 6:14; 8:11.) When prophets declare a vision of the future, they do it to encourage people to obey God today. Peter stated this principle when he wrote, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:11 nkjv).                                                                                                                                      關於先知，你首先必須知道的是，他們的事工既著眼於現在，也著眼於未來。他們「傳講」神的話語，也「預告」神的作為。真正的先知就像良醫：他們診斷病情，開藥，並警告病人如果忽視藥方會發生什麼事。 （參考耶利米書6:14；8:11）先知宣告未來的異象，是為了鼓勵人們今天就順服神。彼得寫道：「這一切既然都要如此銷化，你們為人該當怎樣聖潔、怎樣敬虔呢？」（彼得後書3:11）他闡明了這個原則。                                                                                      Unlike Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Isaiah did not begin his book with an account of his call to ministry. This he gave in chapter 6. Instead, he started with a probing examination of Judah’s present situation and gave a passionate plea for God’s people to return to the Lord. As you read his analysis, note how closely it parallels our situation in the Western world.                                                                                              與耶利米和以西結不同，以賽亞並沒有以祂蒙召事奉的開頭。這在他第六章才講到。相反，他首先深入探討了猶大的現狀，並熱切地呼籲神的子民歸向耶和華。當你閱讀他的分析時，請注意它與我們西方世界的處境有多麼相似。

What Isaiah Saw (1:1–31)                                                                                                                           以賽亞所見（1:1-31）

This chapter describes a courtroom scene. God con venes the court and states the charges (vv. 2–4). He presents His case and pronounces the nation guilty (vv. 5–15), but He gives the accused opportunity to repent and be forgiven (vv. 16–31). How did God describe His sinful people?                                        本章描述了法庭上的場景。上帝召集法庭並陳述指控（2-4節）。他陳述他的案件並宣告以色列有罪（5-15節），但他給被告悔改和得到寬恕的機會（16-31節）。上帝是如何描述祂有罪的​​子民的？

They were rebellious children (vv. 2–4) who did not have as much devotion to God as animals do to their masters! The word rebel carries with it the idea of breaking a contract. At Sinai, Israel had entered into a solemn covenant with Jehovah (Ex. 19—20), but they had broken the contract by their unbelief and idolatry. They did not appreciate what God had done for them and were taking their blessings for granted. They had forsaken the Lord, gone backward, and grown corrupt; therefore, they were guilty and deserved judgment.                                                                                                                              他們是悖逆的兒女（2-4節），他們對上帝的忠誠不如動物對主人忠誠！ 「叛逆」一詞帶有毀約的意思。在西乃山，以色列人與耶和華立了莊嚴的約（出埃及記19-20章），但他們因不信和偶像崇拜而毀約。他們不珍惜上帝為他們所做的一切，把祝福視為理所當然。他們離棄了耶和華，走上倒退，變得腐敗；因此，他們有罪，應該受到審判。

From the human point of view, the nation was prospering; but from God’s point of view, the nation was like a wretched victim who had been beaten from head to foot and left to die (Isa. 1:5–6). The wounds had become infected, the whole body diseased, and nobody was doing anything to help. The false prophets and hypocritical priests of that day would have chal lenged Isaiah’s autopsy of “the body politic,” but the prophet knew that his diagnosis was true. In spite of the optimism of Judah’s leaders, the nation was morally and spiritually sick, and judgment was inevitable.                                                從人類的角度來看，這個國家正在繁榮昌盛；但從上帝的角度來看，這個國家就像一個可憐的受害者，從頭到腳被打得遍體鱗傷，任其死去（以賽亞書 1:5-6）。傷口已經感染，全身都病了，卻沒有人伸出援手。當時的假先知和偽善的祭司可能會質疑以賽亞對「政體」的解剖，但先知知道他的診斷是正確的。儘管猶大領袖們很樂觀，但這個國家在道德和精神上都病了，審判不可避免。 

In verses 7–9, God pictures Judah as a ravaged bat tlefield, a desert that had once been a garden. In using this image, Isaiah may have been looking ahead to the invasion of Sennacherib, when Judah was devastated by the Assyrian army and only Jerusalem was spared (chaps. 36—37). The people would not let God man age the land according to His law, so God turned Judah over to foreigners and permitted His people to suffer (Deut. 28:15ff.).                                                                                                          在 7-9 節中，上帝將猶大描繪成一片滿目瘡痍的戰場，曾經是花園的沙漠。以賽亞使用這幅比喻，或許是預見了西拿基立的入侵，那時猶大將被亞述軍隊摧毀，只有耶路撒冷得以倖免（36-37章）。百姓不肯讓上帝按照祂的律法治理這片土地，所以上帝將猶大交給外邦人，任憑祂的子民受苦（申命記 28:15比照研讀）。

What a humiliating shock the people must have had when they heard Isaiah compare the Holy City of Jerusalem to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Isa. 3:9; Gen. 18—19)! And what did the leaders think when Isaiah said only “a very small remnant” would survive? After all, God promised Abraham that the nation would multiply like the dust of the earth and the stars of the heavens (13:16; 15:5). The doctrine of “the remnant” is important in the message of the prophets (Isa. 6:13; 10:20–22; 11:11–13, 16; Jer. 6:9; 23:3; 31:7; Mic. 2:12; Zech. 8:12). Paul also referred to it (Rom. 9:27; 11:5). In spite of the apostasy of the nation, a remnant of true believers would be spared so that God’s work could be accomplished through the Jewish nation. ( CONDEMNATION (1—39) A.Sermons against Judah and Israel—1—12 )                                                                                                                                      當百姓聽到以賽亞將聖城耶路撒冷與罪惡的所多瑪、蛾摩拉城相提並論時，他們必定感到何等羞辱和震驚（以賽亞書 3:9；創世記 18-19章）！當以賽亞說只有「極少數的餘民」能存活下來時，領袖們又作何感想？畢竟，上帝應許亞伯拉罕，祂的國必像地上的塵土和天上的星辰那樣繁衍增多（13:16；15:5）。 「餘民」的教導在先知的信息中佔有重要地位（賽 6:13；10:20-22；11:11-13、16；耶6:9；23:3；31:7；彌 2:12；撒8:12）。保羅也曾提及這個教義（羅 9:27；11:5）。儘管國家背道，但仍有一批真正的信徒得以存留，使上帝的工作得以透過猶太民族完成。 （定罪篇（1-39）A.針對猶大和以色列的講道－1-12）                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The disgusting thing about this rebellious people is that they were also a religious people (Isa. 1:10–15). They attended the temple services and brought a mul titude of sacrifices to the Lord, but their hearts were far from God and their worship was hypocritical. Sacrifices alone can never please God, for along with the outward observance, God wants inward obedience (1 Sam. 15:22), a broken heart (Ps. 51:17), and a godly walk (Mic. 6:6–8). Judah’s worship of Jehovah was iniquity, not piety, and God was sick of it! Instead of lifting up “holy hands” in prayer (1 Tim. 2:8), their hands were stained with blood because of their many sins (Isa. 59:3; Ezek. 7:23).                                                                                                  這群悖逆之民令人厭惡的地方在於，他們同時也是虔誠的民族（賽1:10-15）。他們參加聖殿的禮拜，獻上許多祭物給耶和華，但他們的心卻遠離神，他們的敬拜是虛偽的。單靠獻祭永遠無法取悅神，因為除了外在的遵守之外，神也想要內在的順服（撒母耳記上15:22），一顆破碎的心（詩篇51:17），以及敬虔的生活（彌迦書6:6-8）。猶大對耶和華的敬拜是罪孽，而不是敬虔，神對此感到厭煩！他們沒有舉起「聖潔的手」禱告（提摩太前書2:8），反而因他們眾多的罪孽，雙手沾滿了鮮血（賽59:3；以西結7:23）。                   

But before passing judgment on worshippers in a bygone era, perhaps we should confess the sins of the “worshipping church” today. According to researcher George Barna, 93 percent of the households in the United States contain a Bible and more than 60 per cent of the people surveyed claim to be religious, but we would never know this from the way people act. One Protestant church exists for every 550 adults in America, but does all this “religion” make much of a difference in our sinful society? Organized religion hasn’t affected the nation’s crime rate, the divorce rate, or the kind of “entertainment” seen in movies and on TV.                                                                                                  但在對過去時代的敬拜者做出評判之前，或許我們應該先承認當今「敬拜教會」的罪。據研究員喬治·巴納稱，美國93%的家庭都擁有一本聖經，超過60%的受訪者聲稱自己信教，但從人們的行為舉止來看，我們根本無法察覺這一點。在美國，每550個成年人中就有一個新教教堂，但所有這些「宗教」在我們這個罪惡的社會中真的能帶來多大改變嗎？有組織的宗教並沒有影響美國的犯罪率、離婚率，也沒有影響電影電視中那種「娛樂」。

The average church allocates about 5 percent of its budget for reaching others with the gospel, but 30 per cent for buildings and maintenance. At a time when the poor and the aged are pleading for help, churches in America are spending approximately 3 billion dol lars a year on new construction. Where churches have life and growth, such construction may be needed, but too often the building becomes “a millstone instead of a milestone,” to quote Vance Havner. At least 62 per cent of the people Barna surveyed said that the church was not relevant to today’s world and is losing its influ ence on society. It may be that, like the worshippers in the ancient Jewish temple, we are only going through the motions. (See The Frog in the Kettle by George Barna, Regal.)                                                                                平均而言，教會只撥出約5%的預算用於向他人傳播福音，而30%則用於教會建築和維護。在窮人和老年人迫切需要幫助的當下，美國的教會每年要花費約30億美元用於新建築。在教會蓬勃發展的地方，這樣的建設或許是必要的，但用萬斯·哈夫納的話來說，這些建築往往「成了一塊沉重的負擔，而非一座里程碑」。在巴納調查中，至少有62%的人表示，教會與當今世界格格不入，正在失去對社會的影響力。或許，就像古代猶太聖殿裡的敬拜者一樣，我們只是在敷衍了事。 （參見喬治·巴納所寫的《壺中青蛙》，Regal出版社。）

Isaiah didn’t stop with the diagnosis but also gave the prescription, because he wanted Judah to be a righ teous people (Isa. 1:16–31). The word translated “reason” in verse 18 means “to decide a case in court,” but instead of pronouncing judgment, the Judge offered pardon! If they would cleanse themselves by repenting and turning from sin (vv. 16–17; see 2 Cor. 7:1), then God would wipe the record clean in response to their faith (Isa. 1:18). God had every rea son to punish His people for their sins, but in His grace and mercy He offered them His pardon.                                                                  以賽亞不僅給了診斷，還給了藥方，因為他希望猶大成為正直的民族（賽1:16-31）。第18節中翻譯為“理由”的詞意為“在法庭上裁決案件”，但審判官並沒有宣判，而是提供了赦免！如果他們悔改並離棄罪惡，潔淨自己（16-17節；參考哥林多後書7:1），那麼上帝就會因他們的信心塗抹他們的罪孽（賽1:18）。上帝完全有理由懲罰祂子民的罪，但因著祂的恩典和憐憫，祂赦免了他們。

What were some of the sins that the nation needed to confess and put away? Isaiah named murder (v. 21), robbery, bribery, and exploiting the helpless (v. 23), and the worship of heathen idols (v. 29). Because of their idolatry, the once-faithful wife was now a harlot, and because of their unjust practices, the pure silver had become dross. The tragedy is that many of the worshippers in the temple participated in these evil practices and thereby encouraged the decay of the nation. The rulers maintained a religious façade to cover up their crimes, and the people let them do it.                                                                      國家需要懺悔和除掉哪些罪？以賽亞列舉了謀殺（21節）、搶劫、賄賂、剝削無助的人（23節）以及崇拜異教偶像（29節）。由於偶像崇拜，曾經忠貞的妻子如今淪為妓女；由於他們不義的行為，純銀也變成了渣滓。悲劇的是，許多在聖殿裡敬拜的人也參與了這些惡行，從而助長了國家的衰敗。統治者們用宗教的幌子掩蓋自己的罪行，而人民也任由他們肆意妄為。                                                                                                                                                                              What would God do if the people did not repent? He would send a fiery judgment that would purge the dross and burn up those whose rebellion had made them His enemies (vv. 24–31). Isaiah closed this first message with a promise of hope that one day Jerusalem would be a “city of righteousness.”                  如果人民不悔改，上帝會怎麼做？祂會降下烈火的審判，煉淨渣滓，燒盡那些因悖逆而與祂為敵的人（24-31節）。以賽亞在第一個信息結束時，承諾耶路撒冷終有一天會成為  “公義之城”，帶來希望。                                                                                                                                                

What Isaiah Promised (2:1—4:6)                                                                                                          以賽亞的應許（2:1－4:6）

Three important phrases sum up Isaiah’s second mes sage and its proclamation of God’s future work.  三個重要的短語概括了以賽亞的第二個信息及其對上帝未來工作的宣告。

The temple of the Lord (2:1–5). The prophet looked ahead to the time when God’s righteous king dom would be established and the temple would become the center for the worldwide worship of the Lord. In Isaiah’s day, the Jews were adopting the false gods of the Gentiles, but the day would come when the Gentiles would abandon their idols and worship the true God of Israel. The nations would also lay down their weapons and stop warring. These promises must not be “spiritualized” and applied to the church, for they describe a literal kingdom of righteousness and peace. The Jewish temple will be rebuilt, and the Word of God will go forth from Jerusalem to govern the nations of the world.                                    耶和華的聖殿（2:1-5）。先知展望上帝公義的國度建立，聖殿將成為普世敬拜耶和華的中心。在以賽亞的時代，猶太人信奉外邦人的假神，但終有一天，外邦人會拋棄他們的偶像，敬拜以色列的真神。列國也會放下武器，停止戰爭。這些應許絕不能被「精神化」並應用於教會，因為它們描述的是一個真正公義與和平的國度。猶太人的聖殿將被重建，上帝的話語將從耶路撒冷發出，並治理世界各國。             

In the light of the future glory of God’s temple, Isaiah appealed to the people to “walk in the light of the Lord” (v. 5). Christians today have a similar moti vation as we await the return of Christ for His church (1 John 2:28–3:3).                                                                                                                                      以賽亞預見神殿未來的榮耀，呼籲百姓「在耶和華的光中行」（第5節）。今天的基督徒也有類似的動機，我們等候基督為祂的教會再來（約翰一書2:28-3:3）。

The day of the Lord (2:6—3:26). This is that period of time when God will send judgment to the nations and purify Israel in preparation for the coming of His King to reign in Jerusalem. The day of the Lord is described by John (Rev. 6—19), by the prophets (Isa. 13:6ff.; Ezek. 30; Joel 1:15; 2:1ff.; Zeph. 1:7ff.; Zech. 14:1ff.), and by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). It will be a time of terrible suffering; the environment will be devastated, and millions of people will die. (Note the repetition of the phrase “in that day”: Isa. 2:17, 20; 3:7, 18; 4:1–2.)                                                                                      主的日子（2:6-3:26）。在這時期，神將審判列國，潔淨以色列，為祂的君王在耶路撒冷統治作準備。約翰（啟示錄6-19章）、眾先知（以賽亞書13:6及後；以西結書30章；約珥書1:15；2:1及後；西番雅書1:7及後；撒迦利亞書14:1及後）和主耶穌（馬太福音24章；馬可福音13章；路加福音21）。那將是一段充滿苦難的時期；環境將遭到破壞，數百萬人將喪命。 （請注意「到那日」這個片語的重複出現：以賽亞書 2:17, 20；3:7, 18；4:1-2。）

To the prophets, “the day of the Lord” was fore shadowed by events in their own day. In the book of Isaiah, Assyria’s conquest of the northern kingdom  and invasion of Judah, and the Babylonian captivity of Judah both picture the coming “day of the Lord.”                                                                                    對先知來說，「耶和華的日子」是由他們自己時代發生的事件所預示的。在以賽亞書中，亞述征服北方王國、入侵猶大，以及猶大被巴比倫囚禁都預示著即將到來的「耶和華的日子」。

         (1) Why will God judge His people? Because of their idolatry, covetousness, pride, and exploiting of the poor (2:6–22). Instead of holding to the truth of God’s Word, they were adopting “superstitions from the East” (v. 6 niv), not unlike many “religious seekers” today. The growth of Eastern religions in the modern Western world is a phenomenon that is both frightening and challenging. Even nonreligious people are practicing Eastern forms of meditation and relaxation, following techniques that are being taught in university classes and business seminars.                                                                                             （1）上帝為什麼要審判祂的子民？因為他們崇拜偶像、貪婪、驕傲、剝削窮人（2:6-22）。他們沒有堅持上帝聖言的真理，反而採納了「東方的迷信」（第 6 節，新國際版），與今天的許多「宗教追求者」沒什麼不同。東方宗教在現代西方世界的成長是一種既令人恐懼又具有挑戰性的現象。甚至非宗教人士也在練習東方的冥想和放鬆方式，遵循大學課堂和商業研討會上教授的技巧。

The prosperity of the nation made leaders proud and covetous. Instead of trusting the Lord, they trusted their wealth and war equipment, not realizing that nei ther would deliver them in the coming day of judgment. The leaders were exploiting the poor, crush ing them like grain in a mill (3:13–15). God will not allow His people to be proud and self-confident, but will humble them and cut them down like trees in the forest. “The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day” (2:11, 17) when men flee from His wrath and discover the worthlessness of their idols and the consequences of their sins (vv. 19–22).                          國家的繁榮使領導人驕傲自大、貪婪成性。他們沒有信靠耶和華，反而信靠財富和戰爭裝備，沒有意識到在即將到來的審判日，這些都無法拯救他們。領導人剝削窮人，像磨坊裡的穀物一樣碾碎他們（3:13-15）。上帝不會允許祂的子民驕傲自大，反而會讓他們謙卑，像森林中的樹木一樣砍倒他們。 「到那日，唯有耶和華被尊崇」（2:11, 17），那時人們會逃離祂的憤怒，發現他們偶像的毫無價值以及他們罪孽的後果（19-22節）。 

   (2) How will God judge His people? By taking away from them everything they were trusting, including food and water, leaders and soldiers, and judges and prophets (3:1–15). The entire support system of the nation would disintegrate, and there would be no rem edy. Nobody would want to hold office except women and children. (In Judah’s male-dominated society, this would be a humiliating calamity.) The national leaders in Isaiah’s day were charting a course that was out of the will of God and would ultimately bring disaster, but the righteous remnant would be protected by God (vv. 10–12).  （2）上帝將如何審判祂的子民？祂會奪走他們所信靠的一切，包括食物和水、領袖和士兵、士師和先知（3:1-15）。整個國家的支撐體系將會瓦解，無可挽回。除了婦女和兒童，沒有人願意擔任公職。 （在猶大男權社會，這將是一場屈辱的災難。）以賽亞時代的國家領導人制定了一條違背上帝旨意的路線，最終將帶來災難，但正義的餘民將受到上帝的保護（10-12節）。                                                                                                                                                                                  After denouncing the men in leadership, the prophet zeroed in on the proud women who profited from their husbands’ crimes (3:16—4:1). The prophet Amos had a similar message for the women in the northern kingdom (Amos 4:1–3). Everything would be different for these women when the judgment of God came to the land! In that day, nobody would notice their expensive clothes, their jewelry and perfumes, and their elaborate coiffures. They would be prisoners of war, led by a rope, like cattle going to the slaughter. So many men would be killed there wouldn’t be enough husbands to go around (4:1)! 先知譴責了身居高位的男性之後，將矛頭直指那些從丈夫的罪行中牟利的驕傲女性（3:16-4:1）。先知阿摩司也向北方王國的婦女傳達了類似的訊息（阿摩司書 4:1-3）。當神的審判臨到這片土地時，這些婦女的一切將會不同！到那時，沒有人會注意到她們昂貴的衣服、珠寶、香水和精緻的髮型。她們將成為戰俘，被繩子牽著走，就像被送去宰殺的牲畜一樣。無數的男人被殺，以至於沒有足夠的丈夫供她們使用（4:1）！

God is longsuffering as He watches people viciously exploit one another and selfishly ravage His creation.  But there is coming a day when unbelieving sinners will be punished and God’s people will share in the glo ries of His kingdom. Are you ready?                                                                                上帝長久地忍耐著，看著人們互相殘殺，自私地蹂躪祂的創造物。但終有一天，不信的罪人將受到懲罰，神的子民將分享祂國度的榮耀。你準備好了嗎？

The Branch of the Lord (4:2–6). The prophet looked beyond the “day of the Lord” to that time when the kingdom will be established on earth. “Branch of the Lord” is a messianic title for Jesus Christ, who came as a “shoot” from the seeming dead stump of David’s dynasty (11:1; 53:2; see Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). God will cleanse His people (Isa. 4:4; see Zech. 12:10—13:1), restore the fruitfulness of the land, and dwell with them as He did when He led them through the wilderness (Isa. 4:5–6; Ex. 13:21–22). Not just the temple, but every dwelling will be blessed by the pres ence of the Lord! Unlike in Isaiah’s day, “in that day” the people will be holy (set apart), and the land will be beautiful and glorious.                                                                                                                                                      主耶和華的苗裔（4:2-6）。先知的目光超越了“耶和華的日子”，直指神國在地上建立的時代。 「耶和華的苗裔」是耶穌基督的彌賽亞稱號，祂如同從大衛王朝看似枯死的殘株上長出的「嫩芽」（11:1；53:2；另見耶利米書 23:5；33:15；撒迦利亞書 3:8；6:12）。上帝將潔淨祂的子民（以賽亞書 4:4；另見撒迦利亞書 12:10-13:1），使地土豐饒，並與他們同住，如同祂帶領他們穿越曠野時所做的一樣（以賽亞書 4:5-6；出埃及記 13:21-22）。不只是聖殿，所有住所都將因耶和華的同在而蒙福！與以賽亞時代不同的是，“到那日”，百姓將分別為聖，地土也必美麗榮耀。

What Isaiah Sang (5:1–30)                                                                                                                      The preacher became a troubadour and sang a folk song to the Lord (“my beloved”). Perhaps the people who had ignored his sermons would listen to his song. He sang about his own people (v. 7) and pointed out how good God had been to them. God gave them a holy law and a wonderful land, but they broke the law and defiled the land with their sins and failed to produce fruit for God’s glory. God had done for them all that He could do. Now all that remained for Him to do was bring judgment on the fruitless vineyard and make it a waste. (Note that Jesus referred to this passage in Matt. 21:33–44.)                     以賽亞所唱的（5:1-30）                                                                                                                         這位傳道人化身吟遊詩人，向主唱了一首民歌（“我的愛人”）。或許那些忽略他講道的人會聽到他的歌聲。他唱著自己的同胞（7節），並指出上帝對他們是多麼的恩待。上帝賜給他們神聖的律法和美好的土地，但他們卻違背律法，用自己的罪玷污了這片土地，沒有結出果實來榮耀上帝。上帝已經為他們做了祂所能做的一切。現在，祂要做的就是審判那不結果子的葡萄園，使它荒廢。 （請注意，耶穌在馬太福音21:33-44中提到了這段經文。）

What were the “wild grapes” that the nation pro duced instead of the “good grapes” that God sought for? In the six “woes” that follow, Isaiah named the sins that brought judgment on the land.                    這個國家結出的不是上帝所期望的“好葡萄”，而是“野葡萄”，這是指什麼呢？在接下來的六場「災禍」中，以賽亞列舉了那些為這片土地帶來審判的罪惡.

Covetousness (vv. 8–10). In disobedience to the law (Lev. 25:23–28; 1 Kings 21:1–3), the rich defrauded the poor and seized the land. These wealthy exploiters built large mansions and developed extensive farms, but God warned them that their houses would be empty and their harvests meager. Imagine ten acres of grapevines yielding only six gallons of wine and six bushels of seed producing half a bushel of grain!                                                                                                                                        貪婪（8-10節）。富人違反律法（利 25:23-28；列王紀上 21:1-3），欺騙窮人，霸占土地。這些富有的剝削者建造了豪宅，發展了廣闊的農場，但上帝警告他們，他們的房子將會空置，收成也會慘淡。想像一下，十英畝的葡萄園只產出六加侖葡萄酒，六蒲式耳的種子只產出半蒲式耳的穀物！

Drunkenness (vv. 11–17). In the Old Testament, God did not require total abstinence, but He did warn against drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 23:29–31; Hab. 2:15). This warning is repeated in the New Testament for believers today (Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Eph. 5:18). Isaiah described people so addicted to alcohol that they begin their revelries as soon as they wake up in the morning, and they continue their drinking till late at night. They enjoy banquets and music and get involved in drunken brawls (Isa. 5:14 niv). But when judgment comes, these people will hunger and thirst and become “food” for the grave (v. 14). The “eaters” will themselves be eaten, and the proud drinkers will be brought low.                          貪婪（8-10節）。富人違反律法（利 25:23-28；列王紀上 21:1-3），欺騙窮人，霸占土地。這些富有的剝削者建造了豪宅，發展了廣闊的農場，但上帝警告他們，他們的房子將會空置，收成也會慘淡。想像一下，十英畝的葡萄園只產出六加侖葡萄酒，六蒲式耳的種子只產出半蒲式耳的穀物！醉酒（11-17節）。在舊約中，上帝並沒有要求完全戒酒，但祂確實警告人們不要醉酒（箴 20:1；23:29-31；哈巴谷書 2:15）。新約聖經也向今天的信徒重申了這項警告（羅馬書 13:13；哥林多前書 6:9-10；弗 5:18）。以賽亞描述了那些沉迷於酒精的人，他們在清晨醒來就開始狂歡，一直喝到深夜。他們享受筵席和音樂，醉酒時互相爭吵（以賽亞書 5:14）。但當審判來臨時，這些人必飢渴難耐，成為墳墓裡的「食物」（14節）。 「吃的人」必被吃掉，驕傲的酒鬼必被擊倒。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Carelessness (vv. 18–19). Isaiah described people who are bound by sin and yet speak frequently of the Lord and His warnings. “They even mock the Holy One of Israel and dare the Lord to punish them” (v. 19 tlb). The name “Holy One of Israel” is used twenty five times in Isaiah, but these sinners had no respect for that name. We have skeptical scoffers today who speak lightly of the Lord and think they will get away with it.                                                                                                                                      疏忽（18-19 節）。以賽亞描述了那些被罪捆綁卻仍常常講論耶和華和祂的警告的人。 「他們戲笑以色列的聖者，又敢於讓耶和華懲罰他們」（19 節 tlb）。 「以色列的聖者」這個名字在以賽亞書中出現了 25 次，但這些罪人並不尊重這個名字。今天我們也有懷疑的嘲笑者，他們輕視主，認為可以逃脫懲罰。

Deception (v. 20). Moral standards were destroyed by new definitions of sin (see Amos 5:7), people using God’s vocabulary but not His dictionary. Like today’s “double-speak,” this kind of language made it easy to deceive people and avoid a guilty conscience. In today’s world, increased taxes are “revenue enhancements,” and poor people are “fiscal underachievers.” Medical malpractice is not the cause of a patient’s death; it’s a “diagnostic misadventure of high magnitude.” (See DoubleSpeak by William Lutz.) The Jerusalem Bible translation of Psalm 12:2 says it perfectly: “All they do is lie to one another, flattering lips, talk from a double heart.”                                                                                                    欺騙（20 節）。道德標準被新的罪定義摧毀（參考阿摩司書 5:7），人們使用神的詞彙而不是祂的字典。就像今天的「雙重說法」一樣，這種語言很容易欺騙人們，避免內疚。在當今世界，增加稅收是“增加收入”，窮人是“財政不達標者”。醫療事故不是導致患者死亡的原因；這是「重大的診斷性失誤」。 （參考威廉·盧茨的《雙重言語》）耶路撒冷聖經譯本的詩篇 12:2 對此進行了完美的描述：「他們所做的就是彼此說謊，用諂媚的嘴唇，說著兩面三刀的話。」                                                                                                                                                                                        Pride (v. 21). Instead of listening to God, the lead ers consulted with one another and made decisions based on their own wisdom. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22; see 1 Cor. 1:18–25). “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:7 nkjv).    驕傲（第 21 節）。領導者不聽從上帝，而是互相商議，並根據自己的智慧做出決定。 「他們自稱為聰明，反成了愚拙」（羅馬書 1:22；參考哥林多前書 1:18-25）。 「不要自以為有智慧，要敬畏耶和華，遠離惡事」（箴 3:7 nkjv）。

Injustice (vv. 22–25). The judges who were sup posed to enforce the law used their authority to free the guilty and punish the innocent. They were more inter ested in cocktail parties than fair trials, and making money (bribes) than promoting justice. Isaiah warned these corrupt politicians that the fire of God’s wrath was coming and would burn them up. They were like cut flowers and had no roots, beautiful for a time, but destined to die and turn to dust.                                                                              不公正（第 22-25 節）。本應執行法律的法官利用他們的權力釋放有罪的人並懲罰無辜的人。他們對雞尾酒會比對公平審判更感興趣，他們對賺錢（賄賂）比對促進正義更感興趣。以賽亞警告這些腐敗的政客，上帝憤怒的烈火即將來臨，將燒盡他們。他們如同剪下的花朵，沒有根基，一度美麗，但注定要枯萎歸於塵土。 

The phrase in verse 25 about God’s anger is repeated in 9:12, 17, and 21, and in 10:4. His hand was raised in judgment and would not come down until He had completed His work. He would summon the Assyrian army from afar and use it to chasten His people (5:26–30). The northern kingdom of Israel would be destroyed, and Judah, the southern kingdom, would be devastated but eventually delivered, only to go in captivity to Babylon a century later. God was seri ous about the nation’s sins. If they would not repent and accept His offer of pardon (1:18), then all He could do was send judgment.            25節中關於上帝憤怒的片語在9:12、17、21和10:4重複出現。他舉起審判的手，直到他完成他的使命才會降下。他將從遠方召集亞述軍隊，用它來懲罰他的子民（5:26-30）。北方的以色列國將被毀滅，南方的猶大國將被摧毀，但最終會被拯救，一個世紀後，他們被擄到巴比倫。上帝對這個國家的罪非常嚴肅。如果他們不悔改並接受祂的赦免（1:18），那麼祂所能做的就只有降下審判。                                                                                                                                     

What Isaiah Experienced (6:1–13)                                                                                                          以賽亞的經歷（6:1-13）                                                                                                                  

Anyone reading Isaiah’s first two messages might be inclined to ask, “What right does this man have to pronounce judgment on the leaders of our land and the many worshippers in the temple?” The answer is in this chapter: Isaiah’s account of his call to ministry. Before he announced any “woes” on others, he first confessed his own sin and said, “Woe is me!” He saw the Holy One of Israel, and he could not keep silent. Note four stages in Isaiah’s experience with God.                                                                              任何讀過以賽亞書前兩篇信息的人，或許都會問：「這個人有什麼資格審判我們國家的領袖和聖殿裡眾多敬拜的人？」答案就在本章：以賽亞講述他蒙召傳道的經歷。在他宣告別人有「禍患」之前，他先承認自己的罪，並說：「我有禍了！」他看見以色列的聖者，就無法保持沉默。請注意以賽亞與神同行的四個階段。

Sight: He saw the Lord (vv. 1–4). We assume that Isaiah was in the temple when this marvelous event  occurred, but we cannot be sure. The temple referred to in verse 1 is the heavenly temple, rather than Solomon’s temple. King Uzziah died in 740 BC and was one of Judah’s greatest leaders, even though in his latter years he was disciplined for disobeying God (2 Chron. 26:16–21). A great king may have left his throne on earth, but the greatest King was still seated on the throne of heaven. According to John 12:41, this was the Lord Jesus Christ.                                                                                                        看見：他看見了主（1-4節）。我們假設當這奇妙的事件發生時，以賽亞就在聖殿裡，但我們不能確定。第1節所提到的聖殿是指天上的聖殿，而不是所羅門的聖殿。烏西雅王死於主前 740 年，他是猶大最偉大的領袖之一，儘管在他晚年因違背上帝而受到懲戒（歷代誌下 26:16-21）。偉大的國王可能離開了地上的王位，但最偉大的國王仍然坐在天上的寶座上。根據約翰福音 12:41，這位國王就是主耶穌基督。

Only here are the seraphim mentioned in Scripture. The Hebrew word means “to burn” and relates these crea tures to the holiness of God. This is why they repeat, “Holy, holy, holy” before the throne of God. Some stu dents think that the seraphim are the “living creatures” described in Revelation 4:6–9.            只有在這裡，聖經才提到了撒拉弗。希伯來語的意思是“燃燒”，將這些生物與上帝的聖潔聯繫起來。這就是為什麼他們在上帝的寶座前重複「聖哉！聖哉！聖哉！」的原因。有些學生認為撒拉弗是啟示錄 4:6-9 所描述的「活物」。

When I was the radio speaker on “Songs in the Night” from the Moody Church in Chicago, I often received clippings from listeners, items they though might be useful on the weekly broadcast. Most of them I have forgotten, but a few of them still stick in my mind. One of the best was, “When the outlook is bleak, try the uplook!”                                                                                                                              當我在芝加哥慕迪教堂擔任「夜之歌」節目的廣播主播時，我經常收到聽眾的剪報，他們認為這些內容可能對每週的廣播有用。大部分我都忘了，但有幾句至今仍記憶猶新。其中一句最精彩的就是：“當前景黯淡時, 試著向上看."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        For young Isaiah, the outlook was bleak. His beloved king had died, his nation was in peril, and he could do very little about it. The outlook may have been bleak, but the uplook was glorious! God was still on the throne and reigning as the Sovereign of the uni verse! From heaven’s point of view, “the whole earth” was “full of his glory” (Isa. 6:3; see Num. 14:21–22; Ps. 72:18–19). When your world tumbles in, it is good to look at things from heaven’s point of view.                                                            對年輕的以賽亞來說，前景黯淡。他敬愛的君王已逝，國家危在旦夕，卻無能為力。前景或許黯淡，但展望未來卻是榮耀的！上帝仍然坐在寶座上，以宇宙至高的主宰統治！從天上來看，「祂的榮光充滿全地」（賽6:3；另參民14:21-22；詩72:18-19）。當你的世界陷入困境時，從天上的角度來看事物是件好事。

Insight: He saw himself (vv. 5–7). The sight of a holy God and the sound of the holy hymn of worship brought great conviction to Isaiah’s heart, and he con fessed that he was a sinner. Unclean lips are caused by an unclean heart (Matt. 12:34–35). Isaiah cried out to be cleansed inwardly (Ps. 51:10), and God met his need. If this scene had been on earth, the coals would have come from the brazen altar where sacrificial blood had been shed, or perhaps from the censer of the high priest on the day of Atonement (Lev. 16:12). Isaiah’s cleansing came by blood and fire, and it was verified by the word of the Lord (Isa. 6:7).                                                                                                                                      洞見：他看到了自己（5-7節）。聖潔的上帝和敬拜聖歌的聲音，使以賽亞內心深處深深悔悟，他承認自己是個罪人。不潔的嘴唇是由不潔的心造成的（太12:34-35）。以賽亞呼求內心潔淨（詩篇 51:10），神滿足了祂的需要。如果這場景發生在地上，炭火必定來自祭祀流血的銅壇，或是來自贖罪日大祭司的香爐（利未記 16:12）。以賽亞的潔淨是藉著血與火而來的，並且得到了耶和華話語的證實（以賽亞書 6:7）。

Before we can minister to others, we must permit God to minister to us. Before we pronounce “woe” upon others, we must sincerely say, “Woe is me!” Isaiah’s conviction led to confession, and confession led to cleansing (1 John 1:9). Like Isaiah, many of the great heroes of faith saw themselves as sinners and humbled themselves before God: Abraham (Gen. 18:27), Jacob (32:10), Job (Job 40:1–5), David (2 Sam. 7:18), Paul (1 Tim. 1:15), and Peter (Luke 5:8–11).                                                                          在我們服事他人之前，我們必須先讓神服事我們。在我們宣告別人有禍之前，我們必須真誠地說：「我有禍了！」以賽亞的悔改帶來了認罪，而認罪帶來了潔淨（約翰一書 1:9）。像以賽亞一樣，許多偉大的信心英雄也視自己為罪人，並在神面前謙卑自己：亞伯拉罕（創世記18:27）、雅各（32:10）、約伯（約伯記40:1-5）、大衛（撒母耳記下7:18）、保羅（提摩太前書1:15）和彼得（路加福音5:8–11）。

Vision: He saw the need (v. 8). The nation needed the Lord, and the Lord wanted a servant to minister to the people. Isaiah volunteered to be that servant. He did not discuss his call with the Lord, as did Moses (Ex. 3:11—4:15) and Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4ff.), but accepted the appointment and made himself available to his Master.                                                                                                                                異象：他看到了需要（第8節）。國家需要主，主需要一位僕人來服事人民。以賽亞自願成為那位僕人。他沒有像摩西（出3:11-4:15）和耶利米（耶利米書1:4以下）那樣與主討論他的呼召，而是接受了這項任命，將自己獻給主。

Never underestimate what God can do with one willing worker. There is an even greater need for labor ers today, and we have tremendous opportunities for sharing the gospel with a lost world. Are you one of God’s willing volunteers?                                                                                                                      永遠不要低估神藉著一位甘心樂意的工人所能成就的一切。今天對工人的需求更加迫切，我們擁有巨大的機會向迷失的世界傳揚福音。你是神甘心樂意的志工之一嗎？                                                                                                                                                                                                            Blindness: The nation could not see (vv. 9–13). The Lord did not give His servant much encourage ment! Isaiah’s ministry would actually make some people’s eyes more blind, their ears more deaf, and their hearts more callused. Verses 9–10 are so important that they are quoted six times in the New Testament (Matt. 13:13–15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:25–28; Rom. 11:8). God does not deliberately make sinners blind, deaf, and hard-hearted; but the more that people resist God’s truth, the less able they are to receive God’s truth. But the servant is to pro claim the Word no matter how people respond, for the test of ministry is not outward success but faithfulness to the Lord.                      盲目：國家看不見（9-13節）。主並沒有給祂的僕人太多的鼓勵！以賽亞的事工其實會使一些人的眼睛更加盲目，耳朵更加聾，心更加麻木。 9-10節非常重要，在新約中被引用了六次（太13:13-15；可4:12；路8:10；約12:40；徒28:25-28；羅11:8）。上帝不會故意使罪人瞎眼、聾啞、心硬；但人們越抗拒上帝的真理，就越難以接受上帝的真理。無論人們如何回應，僕人都要宣揚上帝的話語，因為事奉的考驗不在於外在的成功，而在於對主的忠誠。               

God told Isaiah that his ministry would end in seeming failure, with the land ruined and the people taken off to exile (Isa. 6:11–12). But a remnant would survive! It would be like the stump of a fallen tree from which the shoots (“the holy seed”) would come, and they would continue the true faith in the land. Isaiah needed a long-range perspective on his ministry or else he would feel like he was accomplishing nothing. “Go and tell” is still God’s command to His people (v. 9; see Matt 28:7; Mark 5:19). He is waiting for us to reply, “Here am I; send me.”                                                                       上帝告訴以賽亞，祂的事工最終會以失敗告終，土地被毀，人民被擄（賽6:11-12）。但會有餘民存活下來！他們就像倒下的樹樁，會長出嫩芽（「聖潔的種子」），並在地上延續真信仰。以賽亞需要以長遠的眼光看待他的事工，否則他會覺得自己一事無成。 「去傳揚」仍然是上帝對祂子民的命令（9節；參考馬太福音28:7；馬可福音5:19）。他等待我們回應：“我在這裡；請差遣我。”  

80 英翻中(以賽亞1章) The Lord Is Salvation 主是我們的救星. 7/6/2025

80 英翻中(以賽亞1章)                  The Lord Is Salvation        主是我們的救星.                 7/6/2025

CHAPTER ONE                                                                                                                                         第1章                                                                                                                                                        The Lord Is Salvation                                                                                                                                    主是我們的救星                                                                                                              INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH                                                                                                                    以賽亞書簡介 

 Sir Winston Churchill was once asked to give the qualifications a person needed in order to succeed in politics, and he replied: “It is the ability to fore tell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability after wards to explain why it didn’t happen.”                    邱吉爾爵士曾被問及一個人要想在政治上取得成功，需要具備哪些條件，他回答說：「就是能夠預知明天、下週、下個月和明年將要發生的事情，並且能夠在事後解釋為什麼沒有發生。」 

         Because God’s prophets were correct all of the time, they didn’t have to explain away their mistakes. “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true,” wrote Moses, “that is a message the Lord has not spoken” (Deut. 18:22 niv). “To the law and to the testimony,” wrote Isaiah, “If they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them” (8:20). Isaiah was a man who had God’s light, and he was not afraid to let it shine.                                 因為上帝的先知始終都是正確的，所以他們不必為自己的錯誤辯解。摩西寫道：「先知奉耶和華的名所傳的，若不成就，也未應驗，這就是耶和華所未曾吩咐的。(8:20)」（申命記 18:22，新國際版）.  以賽亞寫道：「人當以訓誨和法度為標準，他們所說的，若不與此相符，必不得使他發光。                    

Before we examine the text of Isaiah’s prophecy, let’s get acquainted with the background of the book so that we can better understand the man and his times.                                                                            在我們考察以賽亞預言的文本之前，讓我們先了解這本書的背景，以便更好地理解以賽亞和他的時代。

The Man以賽亞這個人                                                                                                                 The name “Isaiah” means “salvation of the Lord,” and salvation (deliverance) is the key theme of his book. He wrote concerning five different acts of deliverance that God would perform: (1) the deliverance of Judah from Assyrian invasion (chaps. 36—37); (2) the deliverance of the nation from Babylonian captivity (chap. 40); (3) the future deliverance of the Jews from worldwide dispersion among the Gentiles (chaps. 11—12); (4) the deliverance of lost sinners from judgment (chap. 53); and (5) the final deliverance of creation from the bondage of sin when the kingdom is established (chaps. 60; 66:17ff.).  “以賽亞”這個名字的意思是“耶和華的拯救”，而拯救（解救）是這卷書的主題。他提到了上帝將要施行的五項拯救：（1）拯救猶大脫離亞述的入侵（36-37章）；（2）拯救猶大脫離巴比倫的囚禁（40章）；（3）未來拯救猶太人脫離流散在外邦人中的境況（11-12章）；（4）拯救迷失的罪人免受審判（53章）；以及（5）當神的國建立時，最終拯救受造之物脫離罪的捆綁（60章；66:17 比照研讀）。

There were other Jewish men named Isaiah, so the prophet identified himself seven times as “the son of Amoz,” not to be confused with “Amos” (see 1:1; 2:1; 13:1; 20:2; 37:2, 21; 38:1). Isaiah was married, and his wife was called “the prophetess” (8:3), either because she was married to a prophet or because she shared the prophetic gift. He fathered two sons whose names have prophetic significance: Shearjashub (“a remnant shall return,” 7:3) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“quick to plunder, swift to the spoil,” 8:1–4, 18). The two names speak of the nation’s judgment and restoration, two important themes in Isaiah’s prophecy                                                                                                                                      還有其他名叫以賽亞的猶太人，因此先知七次稱自己為“亞摩斯的兒子”，不要與“阿摩司”混淆（參閱 1:1；2:1；13:1；20:2；37:2、21；38:1）。以賽亞已婚，他的妻子被稱為「女先知」（8:3），要不是因為她嫁給了先知，就是因為她擁有預言的恩賜。他有兩個兒子，他們的名字都具有預言意義：施亞雅述（“剩下的人必歸回”，7:3）和瑪黑珥沙拉勒哈施罷斯（“搶奪迅速，奪取快”，8:1-4、18）。這兩個名字分別象徵著國家的審判和復興，這是以賽亞預言中的兩個重要主題。                                                                                                                                                                                  .                                                                                                                                            Isaiah was called to his ministry “in the year that King Uzziah died” (6:1), which was 739 BC. Isaiah ministered through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, who died in 686. Tradition says that Manasseh, King Hezekiah’s successor, killed Isaiah by having him sawn in half (Heb. 11:37), but there is no record of this in Scripture.                                                                                                                 以賽亞在「烏西雅王崩的那年」（6:1）被呼召去傳道，也就是主前 739 年。以賽亞在約坦、亞哈斯和希西家統治期間一直擔任先知，希西家死於西元 686 年。傳統說法是希西家王的繼承者瑪拿西將以賽亞鋸成兩半而死 (希伯來書 11:37)，但聖經中沒有這方面的記載。                                                                                                                                                                                                  What kind of man was Isaiah the prophet? As you read his prophecy, you will discover that he was a man in touch with God. He saw God’s Son and God’s glory (chap. 6; John 12:41), he heard God’s message, and he sought to bring the nation back to God before it was too late. 先知以賽亞是怎樣的人？當你閱讀祂的預言時，你會發現祂是一位與神同在的人。他看見神的兒子和神的榮耀（第6章；約翰福音12:41），他聽見神的訊息，並努力在為時已晚之前帶領國家回歸神。

Isaiah was a man who loved his nation. The phrase “my people” is used at least twenty-six times in his book. He was a patriot with a true love for his country, pleading with Judah to return to God and warning kings when their foreign policy was contrary to God’s will. The American political leader Adlai Stevenson called patriotism “not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a life.” He was not thinking of Isaiah when he said that, but Stevenson’s words perfectly describe the prophet and his work. 以賽亞是一位熱愛國家的人。 「我的人民」一詞在他的書中至少使用了26次。他是一位真心熱愛祖國的愛國者，他懇求猶大回歸神，並在君王的外交政策違背神旨意時發出警告。美國政治領袖阿德萊·史蒂文森稱愛國主義「不是短暫而狂熱的情緒爆發，而是平靜而堅定的人生奉獻」。他這樣說並非指以賽亞，但史蒂文森的話語完美地描述了這位先知和他的工作。

He was also a man who hated sin and sham religion. His favorite name for God is “the Holy One of Israel,” and he uses it twenty-five times in his book. (It is used only five times in the rest of the Old Testament.) He looked at the crowded courts of the temple and cried out, “They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (1:4). He examined the political policies of the leaders and said, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help … but they look not to the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord” (31:1). Jehovah was holy, but the nation was sinful, and Isaiah called the people to repent.                                                                          他也是一個憎恨罪惡和虛假宗教的人。他最喜歡稱呼上帝的名字是“以色列的聖者”，並在書中使用了25次。 （在其餘的舊約中，這個字只用了5次。）他望著聖殿裡人頭攢動的院子，呼喊道：「他們離棄耶和華，惹以色列的聖者發怒，退後了」（1:4）。他審視領袖們的政治政策，說：「禍哉，那些下埃及求幫助……卻不仰望以色列的聖者，也不尋求耶和華」（31:1）。耶和華是聖潔的，但這個國家充滿罪惡，以賽亞呼籲百姓悔改。

Isaiah was certainly a courageous man. Unafraid to denounce kings and priests, and unwavering when public opinion went against him, he boldly declared the Word of God. For three years Isaiah wore only a loincloth to dramatize the victory of Assyria over Egypt (chap. 20). In so doing, he hoped to get the attention of people who were blind to their country’s danger.                                                                    以賽亞無疑是一位勇敢的人。他無所畏懼地譴責國王和祭司，在輿論反對他時毫不動搖，勇敢地宣告上帝的話語。以賽亞有三年時間只穿著腰布，以戲劇性地演繹亞述戰勝埃及的場景（第20章）。他希望以此引起那些對國家危機視而不見的人們的注意。

He was a man skilled in communicating God’s truth. Not content with merely declaring facts, Isaiah clothed those facts in striking language that would catch the attention of a people blind and deaf to spiritual truth (6:9–10). He compared the nation to a diseased body (1:5–6), a harlot (v. 21), a useless vineyard (chap. 5), a bulging wall about to fall down (30:13), and a woman in travail (66:8). Assyria, the enemy, would come like a swollen stream (8:7–8), a swarm of bees (7:18), a lion (5:29), and an axe (10:15). Like our Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah knew how to stir the imagination of his listeners so that he might arouse their interest and teach them God’s truth (Matt. 13:10–17).                                                    以賽亞無疑是一位勇敢的人。他無所畏懼地譴責國王和祭司，在輿論反對他時毫不動搖，勇敢地宣告上帝的話語。以賽亞有三年時間只穿著腰布，以戲劇性地演繹亞述戰勝埃及的場景（第20章）。他希望以此引起那些對國家危機視而不見的人們的注意。他是一位善於傳達上帝真理的人。以賽亞不滿足於僅僅宣告事實，他用震撼人心的語言來闡述這些事實，以吸引那些對屬靈真理視而不見、充耳不聞的人們的注意（6:9-10）。他將國家比喻為一具病體（1:5-6），一個妓女（21節），一座廢棄的葡萄園（5章），一道即將倒塌的凸牆（30:13），以及一個產難的婦人（66:8）。敵人亞述將如洶湧的河水（8:7-8），一群蜜蜂（7:18），一頭獅子（5:29），以及一把斧頭（10:15）般湧來。就像我們的主耶穌基督一樣，以賽亞知道如何激發聽眾的想像力，從而引起他們的興趣，並教導他們神的真理（馬太福音 13:10-17）。

The Monarchs                                                                                                                                                各個王朝   

Isaiah prophesied during the days of “Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (1:1). The nation had divided after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12), but the priesthood and the Davidic throne belonged to Judah. The ten northern tribes formed the kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), with Samaria as its capital city, and Benjamin and Judah united to form the kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital city. Though Isaiah predicted the fall of Israel to Assyria (chap. 28), which occurred in 722 BC, his major focus was on Judah and Jerusalem (1:1).                                                                                            以賽亞在「烏西雅、約坦、亞哈斯、希西家作猶大王」（1:1）的時代預言了君王。所羅門死後，國家分裂（列王紀上12章），但祭司職位和大衛的寶座都屬於猶大。北方十個支派組成了以色列國（以法蓮），以撒瑪利亞為首都；便雅憫和猶大合併組成猶大國，以耶路撒冷為首都。雖然以賽亞預言了以色列將被亞述攻陷（28章），即公元前722年，但他的主要焦點還是猶大和耶路撒冷（1:1）。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Uzziah is also called Azariah. At the age of sixteen, he became coregent with his father, Amaziah, and was on the throne for fifty-two years (792–740). When his father was assassinated in 767, Uzziah became the sole ruler and brought the nation to its greatest days since David and Solomon (2 Kings 14:17–22; 15:1–7; 2 Chron. 26:1–15). “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction” (v. 16). He tried to intrude into the priest’s ministry in the temple, and God judged him by smiting him with leprosy. It was in the year that King Uzziah died that Isaiah was called to minister (Isa. 6:1).                                                                                                                                                                烏西雅又名亞撒利雅。他十六歲時與父親亞瑪謝共同執政，在位五十二年（西元前792-740年）。西元前767年，他的父親被暗殺，烏西雅成為唯一的統治者，帶領國家進入了自大衛和所羅門以來的鼎盛時期（列王紀下14:17-22；15:1-7；歷代誌下26:1-15）。 「他既強盛，就心高氣傲，以致行事邪僻」（16節）。他試圖干涉祭司在聖殿的侍奉，結果上帝懲罰了他，使他患上痲瘋病。烏西雅王駕崩的那一年，以賽亞被召去侍奉（賽6:1）。

Jotham was coregent after his father became a leper, and his record as king was a good one (2 Kings 15:32–38; 2 Chron. 27). He reigned for twenty years, and it was during his time that the Assyrian Empire began to emerge as a new and threatening power. During the last twelve years of Jotham’s reign, his son Ahaz served as coregent, but Ahaz was not one of Judah’s good kings. Ahaz forged political alliances that eventually brought Judah into bondage to Assyria (2 Kings 16; 2 Chron. 28). Judah was repeatedly threatened by Egypt from the south and by Syria and Israel from the north, and Ahaz depended on an alliance with Assyria to protect himself. Isaiah warned Ahaz that his alliances with godless Gentiles would not work, and he encouraged the king to put his trust in the Lord (Isa. 7).            約坦的父親在罹患痲瘋病後，約坦與他共同執政，他的王位記錄良好（列王紀下15:32-38；代下27）。他統治了二十年，正是在他統治期間，亞述帝國開始崛起，成為一股新的威脅性力量。在約坦統治的最後十二年，他的兒子亞哈斯與他共同執政，但亞哈斯並不是猶大的好王。亞哈斯結成政治聯盟，最終導致猶大淪為亞述的奴隸（列王紀下16；歷代誌下28）。猶大不斷受到來自南部埃及以及北部敘利亞和以色列的威脅，亞哈斯依靠與亞述的聯盟來保護自己。以賽亞警告亞哈斯，他與不信神的外邦人的聯盟不會奏效，並鼓勵國王信靠耶和華（以賽亞書7）。                                                                                                                                                                  Hezekiah reigned forty-two years and was one of Judah’s greatest kings (2 Kings 18—20; 2 Chron. 29— 32). He not only strengthened the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah, but led the people back to the Lord. He built the famous water system that still exists in Jerusalem.                                              希西家在位四十二年，是猶大最偉大的王之一（列王紀下 18-20；代下 29-32）。他不但鞏固了耶路撒冷城和猶大國，也帶領百姓回歸耶和華。他建造了著名的供水系統，至今仍存在於耶路撒冷。                                         

The ministry of Isaiah spans a period of over fifty years, from 739 BC (the death of Uzziah) to 686 BC (the death of Hezekiah), and it probably extended into the early years of King Manasseh’s reign. It was a difficult time of international upheaval, when first one power and then another threatened Judah. But the greatest dangers were not outside the nation: they were within. In spite of the godly leadership of King Hezekiah, Judah had no more godly kings. One by one, Hezekiah’s successors led the nation into political and spiritual decay, ending in captivity in Babylon.                                                                        以賽亞的事工跨越了五十多年，從公元前 739 年（烏西雅去世）到公元前 686 年（希西家去世），可能延續到瑪拿西王統治的早期。這是一段艱難的國際動盪時期，一個又一個的強國威脅著猶大。但最大的危險不在國家之外，而是在國家之內。儘管希西家王敬虔的領導，猶大卻不再有敬虔的君王。希西家的繼任者一個接一個地帶領國家走向政治和精神衰敗，最後被擄到巴比倫。                              

The British expositor G. Campbell Morgan said, “The whole story of the prophet Isaiah, as it is revealed to us in this one book, is that of a man who spoke to an inattentive age or to an age which, if attentive, mocked him and refused to obey his message, until, as the prophetic period drew to a close, he inquired in anguish, ‘Who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ ” (Westminister Pulpit, vol. 10, 10)                                                                                                              英國解經家坎貝爾 . 摩根(G. Campbell Morgan)曾說：「先知以賽亞的整個故事，正如本書向我們揭示的那樣，就像一個人向一個疏忽大意的時代，或者說，一個即使留意也嘲笑他、拒絕聽從他信息的時代講話一樣。直到預言時期接近尾聲時，他痛苦地問道：‘誰相信我們所傳的？                                                                                                                                                                            The Message                                                                                                                                                  信息                                                                                                                                                      Isaiah opened his book with a series of sermons denouncing sin: the personal sins of the people (chaps. 1—6) and the national sins of the leaders (chaps. 7— 12). In these messages, he warned of judgment and pled for repentance. The prophets Amos and Hosea were preaching similar messages to the people of the northern kingdom, warning them that time was run ning out.                                                          以賽亞以一系列譴責罪惡的講道開頭：人民的個人罪惡（1-6章）和領袖的國家罪惡（7-12章）。在這些信息中，他警告審判的來臨，並懇求悔改。先知阿摩司和何西阿也向北方王國的人民傳達了類似的訊息，警告他們時日無多了

But the Gentile nations around Judah and Israel were not innocent! In chapters 13—23, Isaiah denounced those nations for their sins and warned of God’s judgment. Israel and Judah had sinned against the law of God and were even more guilty than their neighbors, but the Gentile nations would not escape God’s wrath. In the way they had behaved, these nations had sinned against conscience (Rom. 2:1–16) and against human decency. The prophet Amos was preaching the same message in the northern kingdom, but he denounced the Gentiles first and then warned the Jews (Amos 1—2).            然而，猶大和以色列周圍的外邦國家並非無辜！以賽亞在第13至23章中譴責這些國家的罪孽，並警告上帝的審判。以色列和猶大違背了上帝的律法，甚至比鄰國罪孽更深重，但外邦國家也逃脫不了上帝的震怒。這些國家的行為違背了良心（羅馬書2:1-16），也違反了人類的道德準則。先知阿摩司在北方王國也宣揚同樣的信息，但他先譴責外邦人，然後警告猶太人（阿摩司書1-2章）。                                                                                                     

As you study the book of Isaiah, you will discover that the prophet interspersed messages of hope with words of judgment. God remembers His mercy even when declaring His wrath (Hab. 3:2), and He assures His people that they have a “hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11 niv). Isaiah 24—27 is devoted to “songs of hope” that describe the glory of the future kingdom. Isaiah saw a day when the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah would return to the land, be reunited and redeemed, and enter into the blessings of the promised kingdom.                                                                                                                                  當你研讀以賽亞書時，你會發現先知在審判的話語中穿插著希望的信息。即使在宣告祂的震怒時，上帝也不忘祂的憐憫（哈巴谷書3:2），祂向祂的子民保證，他們有「指望和未來」（耶利米書29:11）。以賽亞書24至27章是一首“盼望之歌”，描繪了未來國度的榮耀。以賽亞預見有一天，以色列和猶大兩個王國將回歸故土，重新統一，獲得救贖，並享受應許之國的祝福。                                                                                                                                                                              Chapters 28—35 focus on the impending Assyrian invasion of Israel and Judah. Israel would be destroyed and the ten tribes assimilated into the Assyrian Empire. (This is the origin of the Samaritans, who were part Jewish and part Gentile.) Judah would be invaded and devastated, but Jerusalem would be delivered by the Lord. At this point in his book, Isaiah moved from prophecy to history and focused on two key events that occurred during the reign of King Hezekiah: God’s miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians (chaps. 36—37), and Hezekiah’s foolish cooperation with the Babylonians (chaps. 38—39). This section forms a transition from an emphasis on Assyria to an emphasis on Babylon, for the last twenty-seven chap ters look ahead to the return of the Jewish remnant from Babylonian captivity.   第28至35章聚焦於亞述即將入侵以色列和猶大。以色列將被毀滅，十個支派將併入亞述帝國。 （這就是撒瑪利亞人的起源，他們一半是猶太人，一半是外邦人。）猶大將被入侵和摧毀，但耶路撒冷將被耶和華拯救。在本書的這一部分，以賽亞從預言轉向歷史，並聚焦於希西家王統治期間發生的兩件關鍵事件：上帝奇蹟般地將耶路撒冷從亞述人手中拯救出來（36-37章），以及希西家與巴比倫人的愚蠢合作（38-39章）。這部分從強調亞述過渡到強調巴比倫，因為最後二十七章展望了猶太餘民從巴比倫之囚的回歸。

The Jewish rabbis call Isaiah 40—66 “The Book of Consolation,” and their description is accurate. Addressed originally to the discouraged Jewish exiles returning to an impoverished land and a ruined tem ple, these chapters have brought comfort and hope to God’s people in every age and in every kind of difficult situation. The Hebrew word translated “comfort” also means “to repent.” God brings comfort, not to rebel lious people but to repentant people.                                                                        猶太拉比稱以賽亞書40-66章為“安慰之書”，他們的描述非常準確。這幾章原本是寫給那些回到貧瘠土地和破敗聖殿的沮喪的猶太被擄者，它們為各個時代、處於各種困境中的上帝的子民帶來了安慰和希望。翻譯為「安慰」的希伯來文也有「悔改」的意思。上帝帶來的安慰不是給悖逆的人，而是給悔改的人。 

The arrangement of chapters 40—66 is not accidental.  “The Book of Consolation” is divided into three sec tions; each focuses on a different Person of the Godhead and a different attribute of God. Chapters 40—48 exalt the greatness of God the Father; chapters 49—57, the grace of God the Son, God’s Suffering Servant; and chapters 58—66, the glory of the future kingdom when the Spirit is poured out on God’s peo ple. Note the references to the Spirit in 59:19 and 21; 61:1; and 63:10–11, 14.                    40-66章的編排並非偶然。 《安慰之書》分為三個部分；每一部分都著重在神格中的不同位格和上帝的不同屬性。 40-48章頌揚聖父上帝的偉大；49-57章頌揚聖子、上帝受苦的僕人的恩典；58-66章則預言聖靈傾注在上帝子民身上時未來國度的榮耀。請注意 59:19 和 21；61:1；以及 63:10-11、14 中對聖靈的引                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Servant is one of the key words in this second sec tion of the book of Isaiah. The word is used seventeen times and has three different referents: the nation of Israel (41:8–9; 43:10); Cyrus, king of Persia, whom God raised up to help Israel restore their nation and rebuild their temple (44:28; 45:1; see Ezra 1:1); and Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Isa. 42:1, 19; 52:13; 53:11), the Suffering Servant who died for the sins of the world. While Assyria and Egypt vie for the center stage in chapters 1—39, it is Babylon and Persia that get the attention in chapters 40—66.                                                                                                   僕人是以賽亞書第二部的關鍵字之一。這個字使用了十七次，有三個不同的指稱：以色列國（41:8-9；43:10）；波斯王居魯士，上帝興起祂幫助以色列復興國家、重建聖殿（44:28；45:1；參考以斯拉記 1:1）；以及耶穌基督，上帝的兒子（以賽亞書 42:1、195:52；雖然亞述和埃及在 1-39 章中爭奪中心地位，但巴比倫和波斯才是 40-66 章中關注的焦點。    

In summary, Isaiah had an immediate word of warning to both Israel and Judah that Assyria was on the march and would be used by God to punish them for their sins. Occasionally, Isaiah used this invasion to picture “the day of the Lord,” that future time when the whole world will taste of the wrath of God. The prophets often used immediate circumstances to illus trate future events.                                          總而言之，以賽亞立刻警告以色列和猶大，亞述正在入侵，上帝將利用亞述來懲罰他們的罪。以賽亞偶爾會用這次入侵來比喻“耶和華的日子”，即未來全世界都將嚐到上帝憤怒的滋味。先知們常用眼前的情況來比喻未來的事件。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Isaiah had a word of promise to Judah that God would deliver Jerusalem from the enemy for the sake of David’s throne. There was also a word of hope for the future Jewish exiles in Babylon, that God would rescue them and help them restore their nation and their tem ple. But Isaiah’s greatest message is his word of salvation, announcing the coming of the Messiah, the Servant of the Lord, who would die for sinners and one day return to earth to establish His glorious kingdom.                                                      以賽亞向猶大發出應許，上帝將為了大衛的寶座拯救耶路撒冷脫離敵人。他也向未來被擄到巴比倫的猶太人傳達了希望，上帝將拯救他們，幫助他們重建國家和聖殿。但以賽亞最偉大的信息是他的救恩之言，宣告彌賽亞——耶和華的僕人——的到來，他將為罪人而死，並終有一天重返人間，建立他榮耀的國度。                                                                                                            

The Messiah                                                                                                                                              彌賽亞                                                                                                                                                        Isaiah was much more than a prophet. He was an evan gelist who presented Jesus Christ and the good news of the gospel. Isaiah’s “Servant Song” about Jesus (Isa. 52:13—53:12) is quoted or alluded to nearly forty times in the New Testament.                                                                                                  以賽亞不只是一位先知。他是一位傳福音者，宣揚耶穌基督和福音的好消息。以賽亞關於耶穌的「僕人之歌」（賽52:13-53:12）在新約聖經中被引用或提及近四十次。

The prophet wrote about the birth of Christ (7:14; 9:6; Matt. 1:18–25); the ministry of John the Baptist (Isa. 40:1–6; Matt. 3:1ff.); Christ’s anointing by the Spirit (Isa. 61:1–2; Luke 4:17–19); the nation’s rejec tion of their Messiah (Isa. 6:9–11; John 12:38ff.); Christ, the “stone of stumbling” (Isa. 8:14; 28:16; Rom. 9:32–33; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6); Christ’s ministry to the Gentiles (Isa. 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47); the Savior’s suffering and death (Isa. 52:13–53:12; Acts 3:13; 8:32–33; 1 Peter 2:21–25); His resurrection (Isa. 55:3; Acts 13:34); and His return to reign as King (Isa. 9:6–7; 11:1ff.; 59:20–21; 63:1–3; Rom. 11:26–27; Rev. 19:13–15). There are many other references in Isaiah to the Messiah, and we will identify them as we study this book.                                                                                                    以賽亞先知寫到了基督的誕生（7:14；9:6；太1:18-25）；施洗約翰的事工（賽40:1-6；太3:1以下）；基督被聖靈膏立（賽61:1-2；路4:17-19）；國家拒絕他們的彌賽亞（約6:9-11；12:38； 8:14；28:16；羅 9:32-33；10:11；彼得前書 2:6）；基督對外邦人的事工（賽 49:6；路 2:32；使徒行傳 13:47）；彼得前書的受苦和死亡（賽 52:13-53:12；前 38:38:38； 2:21-25）；祂的復活（賽 55:3；使徒行傳 13:34）；以及祂回來作王統治（賽 9:6-7；11:1ff.；59:20-21；63:1-3；羅 11:26-27；啟 19:13-15）。以賽亞書中還有許多其他關於彌賽亞的提及，我們將在研讀本書時逐一辨識。

It is this emphasis on redemption that gives Isaiah a message for the whole world. While it is true he min istered to the little nation of Judah and wrote about nations and empires that for the most part are no longer on the world scene, his focus was on God’s plan of salvation for the whole world. Isaiah saw the great ness of God and the vastness of His plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike. Isaiah was a patriot but not a bigot; he saw beyond his own nation to the gra cious work God would do among the Gentile nations of the world.                                                                                                                      正是這種對救贖的強調，賦予了以賽亞向全世界發出的信息。雖然他確實服事猶大這個小國，並描寫了那些大多已不存在的國家和帝國，但他的焦點卻集中在上帝對全世界的救贖計劃上。以賽亞看見了上帝的偉大，以及祂對猶太人和外邦人同樣浩瀚的救贖計畫。以賽亞是一位愛國者，但並非偏執狂；他的眼光超越了自己的國家，看到了上帝將在世界外邦國家中施行的恩典之工。         

I have a feeling that the book of Isaiah was a favorite book of the apostle Paul. He quoted from it or alluded to it at least eighty times in his epistles and in at least three of his recorded messages (Acts 13:34, 47; 17:24–29; 28:26–28). This interest in Isaiah may stem from the fact that Jesus quoted Isaiah 42:7, 16 when He spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road (Acts 26:16–18). When Jesus encouraged Paul during his ministry to Corinth (Acts. 18:9–10), He referred to Isaiah 41:10 and 43:5. Paul’s call to evangelize the Gentiles was confirmed by Isaiah 49:6. Like the prophet Isaiah, Paul saw the vastness of God’s plan for both Jews and Gentiles; and like Isaiah, Paul magnified Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Five times in his letters Paul referred to Isaiah 53.                                                                          我感覺以賽亞書是使徒保羅最喜歡的一卷書。他在他的書信和至少三篇記錄在案的信息中引用或提及了以賽亞書至少八十次（使徒行傳 13:34、47；17:24-29；28:26-28）。對以賽亞書的興趣可能源於耶穌在大馬士革的路上與保羅交談時引用了以賽亞書 42:7、16（使徒行傳 26:16-18）。當耶穌在哥林多傳道期間鼓勵保羅時（使徒行傳 18:9-10），他提到了以賽亞書 41:10 和 43:5。以賽亞書 49:6 證實了保羅向外邦人傳福音的呼召。像先知以賽亞一樣，保羅看到了上帝對猶太人和外邦人的宏偉計劃；像以賽亞一樣，保羅尊崇耶穌基督，世界的救主。保羅在他的書信中五次提到以賽亞書第53章。            

As you study Isaiah and discover God’s prophetic plan for the nations of the world, don’t miss his empha sis on the personal message of God’s forgiveness. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (1:18). “I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and, like a cloud, your sins” (44:22 nkjv). “I, even I, am He, who blots out your transgres sions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (43:25 nkjv).          當你研讀以賽亞書，探索上帝對世界各國的預言計劃時，不要忘記祂強調上帝寬恕的個人信息。 「你們的罪雖像朱紅，必變成雪白；雖紅如丹顏，必白如羊毛」（1:18）。 「我塗抹了你們的過犯，如同厚雲消散；我塗抹了你們的罪惡，如同薄雲滅沒」（44:22，新欽定本）。 「只有我，為自己的緣故塗抹你們的過犯，我也不記念你們的罪惡」（43:25，新欽定本）。

How can “the Holy One of Israel,” a just and righ teous God, forgive our sins and remember them no more?                                                                                                                                                          “以色列的聖者”，一位公義、公義的上帝，怎麼能赦免我們的罪，不再記念它們呢？                                                                                                                                                                                          “But [Jesus] was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (53:5 nkjv).                                               “以色列的聖者”，一位公義、公義的上帝，怎麼能赦免我們的罪，不再記念它們呢？ 「何知祂為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷；因祂受的刑罰我們得平安；因祂受的鞭傷我們得醫治」（53:5 新欽定本）。

It was on the basis of this truth that Peter declared, “To [Jesus] all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43 nkjv).                                    正是基於這一真理，彼得宣告：「眾先知也為他作見證說：『凡信祂的人，必因祂的名得蒙赦罪。』」（使徒行傳 10:43 新欽定本）。                                         

“Who hath believed our report?” Isaiah asks us (Isa. 53:1).                                                                      以賽亞問我們：「我們所傳的，有誰信呢？」（以賽亞書 53:1）。

“If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established,” he warns us (7:9 nkjv).                                祂警告我們：「你們若不信，必不得立穩。」（7:9 新欽定本）。

If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and received Him into your life, then do so now. “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (45:22 nkjv).  如果你從未相信主耶穌基督並接受祂進入你的生命，那麼現在就這樣做吧。 「地極的人當仰望我，就必得救；因為我是神，再沒有別的神。」（45:22 新欽定本）。                                                                                                                                                                                                                       “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 nkjv).                                                                                            「除祂以外，別無拯救。因為在天下人間，沒有賜下別的名，我們可以靠著得救。」（使徒行傳 4:12 新欽定本）

78 英翻中 (啟示錄 6-7) The seals and the sealed 印和密封的印 6/5/2025

78 英翻中 (啟示錄 6-7)    The seals and the sealed                印和密封的印      6/5/2025

CHAPTER FIVE        THE SEALS AND THE SEALED                         Revelation 6—7               第五課                          印和密封的印                                                         啟示錄 6-7

The worship described in Revelation 4—5 is preparation for the wrath described in Revelation 6—19. It seems strange to us that worship and judgment should go together, but this is because we do not fully understand either the holiness of God or the sinfulness of man. Nor do we grasp the total picture of what God wants to accomplish and how the forces of evil have opposed Him. God is longsuffering, but eventually He must judge sin and vindicate His servants.                                啟示錄 4 - 5 兩章描述的敬拜是為啟示錄 6 - 19 等章描述的憤怒做準備。敬拜與審判並存，對我們來說似乎有些奇怪，是因為我們既不完全理解上帝的聖潔，也不完全理解人的罪惡。我們也不了解上帝想要完成的事，以及邪惡勢力如何反對祂的全貌。上帝是滿有忍耐的上帝，但最終祂必須審判罪，並為祂的僕人伸冤。 

According to Daniel 9:27, seven years are assigned to Israel in God’s prophetic calendar, beginning with the signing of an agreement with the world dictator (the Antichrist), and ending with Christ’s return to earth to judge evil and establish His kingdom. It is this period that is described in Revelation 6—19. By refer[1]ring to John’s outline (Rev. 1), you will see that his description is in three parts: the first three and a half years (Rev. 6—9), the events at the middle of the period (Rev. 10—14), and the last three and a half years (Rev. 15—19).                                  根據但以理書 9章27節，在上帝的預言日曆中，祂預定給七年時間與以色列，讓她與世界獨裁者（敵基督）簽署協議開始，到基督再來世上審判邪惡，並建立祂的國度結束。啟示錄 6-19 等章描述的正是這個時期。通過參考約翰所寫的大綱（啟示錄  第1章），你會看到他的描述分為三個部分：頭三年半（啟示錄   6—9等章），在該期間中的事件（啟示錄 10 —14等章）和過去三年半（啟示錄  15—19等章）。

What is so significant about the middle of the tribulation? That is when the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and becomes their persecutor instead of their protector (Dan. 9:27).              大災難中期有什麼意義？  那時敵基督違背了他與以色列的盟約，成為他們的迫害者，而不是他們的保護者（但以理  9:27）。 

As you study these fourteen action-filled chapters, keep in mind that John wrote to encourage God’s people in every age of history. He was not only writing prophecy that would be fulfilled in the end times, but he was also writing great theology and dramatically revealing the character of God and the principles of His kingdom. These chapters describe the cosmic conflict between God and Satan, the New Jerusalem and Babylon, and no matter what “key” a student may use to unlock Revelation, he cannot help but see the exalted King of kings as He vindicates His people and gives victory to His overcomers.                                                                                                          當你學習這十四章充滿事件的章節時，請記住約翰寫信是為了在歷史的每個時代鼓勵上帝的子民。他不僅寫預言將在末世應驗，而且他也在寫偉大的神學，戲劇性地揭示上帝的品格和祂國度的原則。這些章節描述了上帝與撒旦、新耶路撒冷和巴比倫之間的宇宙衝突，無論學生使用什麼“鑰匙”來解鎖啟示錄，他都會忍不住看到崇高的萬王之王為祂的子民辯護，並為他們取得勝利。

Since the church never knows when Christ will return, each generation must live in expectancy of His coming. Therefore the book of Revelation must be able to communicate truth to each generation, not just to the people who will be alive when these events occur. Verses like Revelation 13:9; 16:15; and 22:7, 18–20 all indicate the timelessness of John’s message. This also explains why the apostle used so much symbolism, for symbols never lose their meaning. In every era of its history, the church has had to contend with Babylon (compare Rev. 18:4 with Jer. 50—51) and Antichrist (see 1 John 2:18ff.).  Revelation 6—19 is merely the cli[1]max of this conflict.                由於教會永遠不知道基督何時再來，每一代人都必須活在對祂再來的期盼中。因此，啟示錄必須能夠將真理傳達給每一代人，而不僅僅是在這些事件發生時還活著的人。像啟示錄13章9節這樣的經文； 16章15節； 22章7節、18 -20等節 都表明約翰信息的永恆性。這也解釋了為什麼使徒要使用象徵意義，因為象徵性的描述永遠不會因時間的轉移而失去其意義。在其歷史的每一個時代，教會都不得不與巴比倫（比較  啟示錄  18:4 與  耶利米書  50-51）和敵基督（見  約翰壹書  2:18  比照研讀）抗衡。啟示錄 6—19等章， 只是這場衝突的高潮。 

In Revelation 6—7, John characterized the opening days of the tribulation as a time of retribution, response, and redemption.                                                                                                  在啟示錄 6—7 等章中，約翰將大災難開始的日子描述為懲罰、回應和救贖的時期。 

Retribution (6:1–8)                                                                                                                                      懲罰（6:1-8） 

In this section, John recorded the opening of the first four seals, and as each seal was opened, one of the four living creatures summoned a rider on a horse. (“Come and see” should read, “Come!”) In other words, events take place on earth because of the sovereign direction of God in heaven.      在這段章節中，約翰記錄了前四個印的打開，隨著每個印的揭開，都召喚四個活物中的一個騎在馬上。 （“來看”應該讀作“來！”）換句話說，世上發生的事件是因為上帝在天上的主權指示。         

The horse imagery is probably related to the vision described in Zechariah 1:7–17. Horses represent God’s activity on earth, the forces He uses to accomplish His divine purposes. The center of His program is Israel, particularly the city of Jerusalem. (Jerusalem is mentioned thirty-nine times in Zech.) God has a covenant purpose for Israel, and that purpose will be fulfilled just as He promised.                                                                                                                                          馬的圖象可能與撒迦利亞書 1章7-17等節中描述的異像有關。馬代表上帝在世上的活動，是祂用來完成祂神聖目的的大能。祂計劃的中心是以色列，尤其是耶路撒冷城。 （在撒迦利亞書中有三十九次提到耶路撒冷。）上帝與以色列立約都有目的，這個目的會如祂所應許的事那樣的實現。 

Now, let’s try to identify these horses and their riders.                                                                            讓我們現在來嘗試判定這些馬和他們的騎手。 

Antichrist (vv. 1–2). Daniel states that there is a “prince that shall come,” who will make a covenant with Israel to protect her from her enemies (Dan. 9:26–27). In other words, the future world dictator begins his career as a peacemaker! He will go from victory to victory and finally control the whole world.                                                                                                                            敵基督（1-2 兩節）。但以理說，有一位“將要來的王子”，要與以色列立約，保護她免受敵人的傷害（但以理   9:26-27）。換句話說，未來的世界獨裁者，將開始他作為和平締造者的職業生涯！  他將一再勝利，最終控制整個世界。 

Some have suggested that the rider on the white horse is actually a symbol of the “conquering Christ” who today is defeating the forces of evil in the world. They point to Revelation 19:11 as proof, but the only similarity is the presence of a white horse. If this rider is indeed Jesus Christ, it seems strange that He should be named at the end of the book and not at the beginning!              有人認為，騎白馬的人實際上是“征服者基督”的象徵，他今天正在戰勝世界上的邪惡勢力。他們指出啟示錄 19章11節 作為證據，但唯一的相似之處是白馬的存在。如果這個騎手確實是耶穌基督，那麼他的名字應該在書的結尾而不是開頭，這似乎很奇怪！ 

We would expect the Antichrist to resemble the Christ, because Antichrist is Satan’s great imitation! Even the Jews (who ought to know the Scriptures) will be deceived by him (John 5:43; 2 Thess. 2:1–12). This great deceiver will come as a peaceful leader, holding a bow but no arrows! (Our Lord’s weapon is a sword; Rev. 19:15.) Antichrist will solve the world’s problems and be received as the Great Liberator.                                                                                                                  我們希望敵基督與基督相似，因為敵基督是撒旦的偉大模仿者！甚至猶太人（他們應該知道聖經）也會被他欺騙（約翰福音  5:43；帖撒羅尼迦後書  2:1-12）。這個大騙子將作為和平的領導者，拿著弓而不是劍！ （我們主的武器是劍；啟示錄  19:15。）敵基督將解決世界的問題，並被接納為偉大的解放者。 

The word for crown in Revelation 6:2 is Stephanas, which means “the victor’s crown.” The crown that Jesus Christ wears is diadema, “the kingly crown” (Rev. 19:12). Antichrist could never wear the diadem, because it belongs only to the Son of God.                                                                            啟示錄 6章2節 中的冠冕一詞，是“勝利者的冠冕(Stephanas)”的意思。耶穌基督所戴的冠冕是“君王的冠冕(diadema)”（啟示錄  19:12）。敵基督永遠不能戴上王冠，因為它只屬於上帝的兒子。 

Certainly, there is a sense in which Jesus Christ is conquering today, as He releases people from the bondage of sin and Satan (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). But this conquest began with His victory on the cross and certainly did not have to wait for the opening of a seal! We shall note later that the sequence of events in Revelation 6 closely parallels the sequence given by our Lord in His Olivet discourse, and the first item mentioned is the appearance of false Christs (Matt. 24:5).                  毫無疑問，因為當耶穌基督將人從罪和撒旦的束縛中釋放出來時，今天祂在某種意義上正要征服（使徒行傳  26:18；歌羅西  1:13）。但這次征服是從祂在十字架上的勝利開始的，當然不必等到封印的揭開！我們稍後會注意到，啟示錄 第6 章中的事件，順序與我們的主在祂的橄欖樹講道中給出的順序非常相似，其中提到的第一項是假基督的出現（馬太福音  24:5）。 

War (vv. 3–4). Antichrist’s conquest begins in peace, but soon he exchanges the empty bow for a sword. The color red is often associated with terror and death: the red dragon (Rev. 12:3), the red beast (Rev. 17:3). It is a picture of wanton bloodshed. War has been a part of man’s experience since Cain killed Abel, so this image would speak to believers in every age, reminding them that God is ultimately in control, even though He is not responsible for the lawless deeds of men and nations.                                                                                                                                                        戰爭（3-4 等節）。敵基督的征服是在和平中開始的，但很快他就把空弓換了劍。紅色通常與恐怖和死亡聯繫在一起：紅龍（啟 12:3）、紅色野獸（啟 17:3）。這是一幅肆意流血的畫面。自從該隱殺死亞伯以來，戰爭一直是人類經歷的一部分，所以這個形象會向各個時代的信徒說話，提醒他們上帝最終掌權，儘管祂不對人和國家的不法行為負責。 

Famine (vv. 5–6). The color black is often connected with famine (Jer. 14:1–2; Lam. 5:10). Famine and war go together. A shortage of food will always drive up prices and force the government to ration what is available. “To eat bread by weight” is a Jewish phrase indicating that food is scarce (Lev. 26:26). A penny (denarius) a day was a standard wage for laborers (Matt. 20:2), but, of course, it had much greater buying power than the common penny does today. A “measure” of wheat was about two pints, sufficient for the daily needs of one person. Ordinarily, a person could buy eight to twelve measures for a penny, and much more of barley, which was the cheaper grain.飢荒（5-6兩節）。黑色通常與飢荒有關（耶利米書  14:1-2；耶利米哀歌  5:10）。飢荒與戰爭並存。食物短缺總是會推高價格並迫使政府對可用的食物進行配給。 “按人體重吃麵包”是猶太短語，表示食物缺乏（利未記  26:26）。一天一便士 (denarius) 是工人的標準工資（馬太福音   20:2），但當然，它比今天的普通便士具有較大的購買力。一“升量”小麥大約是兩品脫，足以滿足一個人的日常需求。通常，一個人可以花一分錢買八到十二磅，還有更多的大麥，大麥是較為便宜的穀物。 

However, during the tribulation, a man will have to work all day just to secure food for himself! There will be nothing for his family! At the same time, the rich will be enjoying plenty of oil and wine. No wonder Antichrist will eventually be able to control the economy (Rev. 13:17) as he promises to feed the hungry masses.                                                                                                        誠然，在大災難期間，人必須整天工作，以確保自己有足夠的食物！他的家人將沒有食物！與此同時，富人將享用大量的油和酒。難怪敵基督最終將能夠控制經濟（啟示錄 13:17），因為他承諾餵飽飢餓的群眾。 

Death (vv. 7–8). John saw two personages: Death riding a pale horse and hades (the realm of the dead) following him. Christ has the keys of death and hades (Rev. 1:18), and both will one day be cast into hell (Rev. 20:14). Death claims the body while hades claims the soul of the dead (Rev. 20:13). John saw these enemies going forth to claim their prey, armed with weapons of the sword, hunger, pestilence (death), and wild beasts. In ancient times, hunger, pestilence, and the ravages of beasts would be expected to accompany war (note also Jer. 15:2; 24:10; Ezek. 14:21).                    死亡（7-8 兩節）。約翰看到了兩個人：死神騎著一匹蒼白的馬和閻王（陰間）跟隨他。基督擁有死亡和陰間的鑰匙（啟示錄 1:18），兩者總有一天會被扔進地獄（啟示錄 20:14）。死亡奪取了身體，而冥府則奪取了死者的靈魂（啟示錄  20:13）。約翰看到這些敵人帶著刀劍、飢餓、瘟疫（死亡）和野獸出來奪取他們的獵物。在古代，飢餓、瘟疫和野獸的蹂躪會伴隨著戰爭（另注意  耶利米書  15:2；24:10；以西結書  14:21）。 

Conquering tyrants who bring the world war, famine, and pestilence are certainly nothing new. Suffering people from the days of the Roman Empire to the most recent war can easily recognize anticipations of these four dreaded horsemen. This is why the book of Revelation has been a source of encouragement to suffering believers throughout history. As they see the Lamb opening the seals, they realize that God is in control and that His purposes will be accomplished.                征服的暴君帶來世界大戰、飢荒和瘟疫，顯然不是什麼新鮮的事。 從羅馬帝國時代開始到最近的戰爭，凡受苦受難的人，都很容易地預期到會認識到這四個可怕的騎士。 這就是為什麼啟示錄在歷史上一直是鼓勵受苦信徒的源泉。 當他們看到羔羊揭開封印時，他們意識到上帝在掌權，祂的旨意將會實現。 

Response (6:9–17)                                                                                                                                        回應（6:9-17） 

John recorded two responses to the opening of the seals, one in heaven and the other on earth.        當打開封印時，約翰記錄它的兩種反應，一是在天上，另一是在地上。 

The martyrs (vv. 9–11). When the Old Testament priest presented an animal sacrifice, the victim’s blood was poured out at the base of the brazen altar (Lev. 4:7, 18, 25, 30). In Old Testament imagery, blood represents life (Lev. 17:11). So, here in Revelation, the souls of the martyrs “under the altar” indicates that their lives were given sacrificially to the glory of God. The apostle Paul had the same idea in mind when he wrote Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6.                                殉道者（9-11 等節）。當舊約祭司獻上動物祭品時，犧牲者的血倒在銅祭壇的底部（利未記 4:7, 18, 25, 30）。在舊約的意像中，血代表生命（利未記 17:11）。因此，在啟示錄這裡，“祭壇下”的殉道者的靈魂表明他們的生命是為榮耀上帝而犧牲的。使徒保羅在寫腓立比書 2章17節 和 提摩太后書 4章6節 時也有同樣的想法。 

The Greek word martus, which gives us our English word martyr, simply means “a witness” (see Rev. 2:13; 17:6). These saints were slain by the enemy because of their witness to the truth of God and the message of Jesus Christ. The forces of Antichrist do not accept the truth, because Satan wants them to be deceived and accept his lies (see Rev. 19:20; 20:10; also 2 Thess. 2:9–12).            希臘詞 殉道者(martus) 在英文是 martyr，簡單的意思是“見證人”（見  啟示錄  2:13；17:6）。這些聖徒因見證上帝的真理和耶穌基督的信息而被敵人殺害。敵基督者的權勢不接受真理，因為撒旦希望他們受騙，並接受他的謊言（見  啟示錄  19:20；20:10；還有帖撒羅尼迦後書  2:9-12）。 

Since their murderers are still alive on earth, these martyrs are apparently from the early part of the tribulation. But they represent all who have laid down their lives for Jesus Christ and the cause of God’s truth, and they are an encouragement to all today who may be called to follow them. They assure us that the souls of the martyrs are in heaven, awaiting the resurrection (Rev. 20:4), and that they are at rest, robed in heavenly glory.                                                                      由於殺害他們的兇手仍活在世上，這些烈士顯然是來自災難的早期。但他們代表了所有為耶穌基督和上帝的真理事業獻出生命的人，他們鼓勵今天所有可能被召喚跟隨他們的人。他們向我們保證，殉道者的靈魂在天堂，等待復活（啟示錄  20:4），他們安息，身披天國榮耀的長袍。 

But is it “Christian” for these martyred saints to pray for vengeance on their murderers? After all, both Jesus and Stephen prayed that God would forgive those who killed them. I have no doubt that, when they were slain on earth, these martyrs also prayed for their slayers, and this is the right thing to do (Matt. 5:10–12, 43–48).                                                                                                  但是這些殉道的聖徒祈求對他們的兇手報仇是“基督徒”嗎？畢竟，耶穌和司提反都祈求上帝寬恕殺害他們的人。我毫不懷疑，當他們在世上被殺時，這些殉道者也為他們的殺戮者祈禱，他們做法是正確的（馬太福音  5:10-12, 43-48）。 

The great question, however, was not whether their enemies would be judged, but when. “How long, O Lord?” has been the cry of God’s suffering people throughout the ages (see Ps. 74:9–10; 79:5; 94:3–4; also Hab. 1:2). The saints in heaven know that God will eventually judge sin and establish righteousness in the earth, but they do not know God’s exact schedule. It is not personal revenge that they seek, but vindication of God’s holiness and the establishment of God’s justice. Every believer today who sincerely prays, “Thy kingdom come!” is echoing their petition.            然而，最大的問題不是他們的敵人是否會受到審判，而是在何時。 “要多久，主啊？”歷代以來這一直是上帝受苦子民的呼聲（見  詩篇  74：9-10；79：5；94：3-4；還有      哈巴谷  1：2）。天上的聖徒知道上帝最終會審判罪，在地上建立公義，但他們不知道祂的確切時間表。他們尋求的不是個人報復，而是為上帝的聖潔辯護，和建立上帝的公義。今天每一個信徒都真誠的禱告，“願祢的國降臨！”正是他們的請願呼救的回音。                  

God made clear to these martyrs that their sacrifice was an appointment, not an accident, and that others would join them. Even in the death of His people, God is in control (Ps. 116:15); so there is nothing to fear.                                                                                                                            上帝向這些殉道者明確表示，他們的殉道是約定的時間，而不是偶然，其他人會加入他們的行列。即使在祂子民的死亡中，上帝也掌權（詩篇  116:15）；所以沒有什麼好害怕的。 

Many others would be slain for their faith before the Lord would return and establish His kingdom (see Rev. 11:7; 12:11; 14:13; and 20:4–5). Then as today, it appears that the enemy is winning, but God will have the last word. Even in our “enlightened” twentieth century, multiplied thousands of true believers have laid down their lives for Christ; certainly they will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10).                                                                                                                              在主再來並建立祂的國度之前，許多其他人會因為他們的信仰而被殺（見  啟示錄  11：7；12：11；14：13；和 20：4-5）。那麼和今天一樣，看起來敵人正在獲勝，但上帝將擁有最後的決定權。即使在這“開明的”二十世紀，數以千計的倍增真信徒為基督捨命；他們肯定會得到生命的冠冕（啟示錄  2:10）。 

The earth-dwellers (vv. 12–17). The martyrs cried, “Avenge us!” but the unbelievers on earth will cry, “Hide us!” The opening of the sixth seal will produce worldwide convulsions and catastrophes, including the first of three great earthquakes (Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18–19). All of nature will be affected: the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the heavens, the mountains, and the islands. Compare this scene with Joel 2:30–31 and 3:15 as well as with Isaiah 13:9–10 and 34:2–4.居住在世上的人（12-17 等節）。殉道者喊道，“為我們報仇！”但地上的不信者會喊道，“隱藏我們！”第六印的揭開將產生全球性的地震和災難，包括三次大地震中的第一次（啟示錄  6:12；11:13；16:18-19）。整個宇宙都會受到影響：太陽、月亮和星星，以及天空、山脈和島嶼。將此場景與約珥書 2章30-31兩節 和 3章15節 以及以賽亞書 13章9-10兩節 和 34章2-4等節進行比較。 

Even though John wrote using symbolic language, these verses describe a scene that would frighten even the most courageous person. People will try to hide from the face of God and from the face of the Lamb! Imagine wanting to hide from a lamb! I once heard Dr. Vance Havner say that the day would come when the most expensive piece of real estate would be a hole in the ground, and he was right.                                                                                                                            儘管約翰用象徵性的語言寫作，但這些經文描述的場景，即使是最勇敢的人也會害怕。人們會試圖躲避上帝的面和羔羊的面！試思想缺乏要躲避羔羊的方法！我曾經聽溫司 . 哈勒爾  (Vance Havner) 博士說過，有一天，最昂貴的房地產將是地洞，他是對的。 

Rank and wealth will not deliver anyone in that terrible day. John’s list included kings, captains, and slaves, the rich and the poor. “Who shall be able to stand?”                                                            在那個可怕的日子裡，地位和財富不會拯救任何人。約翰的名單包括國王、船長和奴隸，富人和窮人。 “誰能站立得住？” 

The phrase “wrath of the Lamb” seems a paradox. “Wrath of the lion” would be more consistent. We are so accustomed to emphasizing the meekness and gentleness of Christ (Matt. 11:28–30) that we forget His holiness and justice. The same Christ who welcomed the children also drove the merchants from the temple. God’s wrath is not like a child’s temper tantrum or punishment meted out by an impatient parent. God’s wrath is the evidence of His holy love for all that is right and His holy hatred for all that is evil. Only a soft and sentimental person would want to worship a God who did not deal justly with evil in the world.                                                                        “羔羊的憤怒”似乎是雙關語。 “獅子之怒”會比較一致。我們是如此習慣於強調基督的溫順和謙柔（馬太福音 11:28-30），以至於忘記了祂的聖潔和公義。這位歡迎孩子們的基督也將在聖殿作買賣的趕出去。上帝的忿怒不像孩子發脾氣，也不像父母不耐煩的懲罰孩子。上帝的忿怒是祂對所有正義的聖潔的愛，和祂的聖潔對所有邪惡的仇恨的證據。只有溫柔善感的人，才會願意崇拜不以公正對待世上邪惡的神祗。 

Furthermore, the people mentioned here are impenitent. They refuse to submit to God’s will. They would rather hide from God in fear (remember Adam and Eve?) than run to Him in faith. They are proof that judgment by itself does not change the human heart. Not only will men seek to hide from God, but they will blaspheme Him as well (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21)!                                      此外，這裡提到的人是不悔改的。他們拒絕順服上帝的旨意。他們寧願在恐懼中躲避上帝（還記得亞當和夏娃嗎？）而不是在信仰中奔向祂。它們證明審判本身不會改變人心。人們不僅會尋求躲避上帝，還會褻瀆上帝（啟示錄  16:9,11,21）！ 

But is there any hope for believers during this terrible time of judgment? And what about God’s special people, the Jews, who made a covenant with the Antichrist? Certainly people will trust the Lord even after the church is taken to heaven, but how will they manage? We turn to Revelation 7 for some of the answers.                                                                                                                              但是，在這個可怕的審判時期，信徒還有希望嗎？那麼與敵基督立約的上帝的特殊子民，猶太人又怎麼樣呢？  誠然，甚至教會被帶到天上，人當然會信主，但他們怎麼去做呢？我們轉向啟示錄第 7 章尋找一些答案。 

But before considering John’s third theme in this section—redemption—we must note the parallels that exist between Christ’s prophetic words recorded in Matthew 24 and what John wrote in Revelation 6. The following summary outline makes this clear.                                              但在考慮約翰在本節中的第三個主題 — 救贖之前，我們必須注意在馬太福音 24 章中記載的基督的預言性話語與約翰在啟示錄 6 章中所寫的內容之間存在的相似之處。以下概要說明了這一點。 

Matthew 24                                        Revelation 6                                                                          馬太福音 24                                      啟示錄 6

False Christs (vv. 4–5)                      White horse rider (vv. 1–2)                                                  假基督（4-5 節）                             騎白馬的（1-2 節）

Wars (v. 6)                                         Red horse—war (vv. 3–4)                                                    戰爭（第 6 節）                               紅馬 — 戰爭（第 3-4 節）

Famines (v. 7a)                                  Black horse—famine (vv. 5–6)                                            飢荒 (v. 7a)                                        黑馬 — 飢荒 (vv. 5-6)

                        Death (vv. 7b–8)                                Pale horse—death (vv. 7–8)                                                            死亡 (vv. 7b-8)                                   蒼白的馬 — 死亡 (vv. 7-8)

Martyrs (v. 9)                                    Martyrs under the altar (vv. 9–11)                          殉道者 (v. 9)                                      祭壇下的殉道者 (vv. 9-11)

Worldwide chaos (vv. 10–13)           Worldwide chaos (vv. 12–17)

世界混亂 (vv. 10-13)                         世界混亂 (vv. 12-17)

Matthew 24:14 introduces the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom throughout the whole world, and this may well be where Revelation 7 fits in. God may use the sealed 144,000 Jews to share His Word with the world, resulting in the salvation of multitudes.                                              馬太福音 24 章 14 節宣告這天國的福音要傳遍全世界，這很可能是啟示錄 7 章的切入點。上帝可能會使用 144,000 名印證的猶太人與全世界分享祂的話語，從而拯救眾人。

We will see more of “the wrath of God” as we progress through Revelation (Rev. 11:18; 14:10; 16:19; 19:15). We will also encounter the wrath of Satan (Rev. 12:17) and the wrath of the nations as they oppose God (Rev. 11:18). If men and women will not yield to the love of God and be changed by the grace of God, then there is no way for them to escape the wrath of God.                隨著啟示錄的推進，我們將看到更多“上帝的憤怒”（啟示錄 11:18；14:10；16:19；19:15）。我們還將遭遇撒旦的憤怒（啟示錄 12:17）和各國反對上帝的憤怒（啟示錄 11:18）。如果男人和女人不屈服於上帝的愛，不被祂的恩典改變，那麼他們就無法逃脫上帝的震怒。 

Redemption (7:1–17)                                                                                                                                  救贖（7:1-17） 

It is important that we contrast the two groups of people described in this chapter.                            重要的是我們對比本章描述的兩類人。 

                          7 : 1- 8                                    7 : 9 – 17                                                                                                          

            Jews                                        Gentiles from all nations                                                                            來自各國的猶太人               來自各國的外邦                                      

            Numbered – 144,000             Not numbered, nor could be                                                                        編號 – 144,000                     沒有編號，也不能編號

            Sealed on earth                      Standing in heaven before God                                                                  在地上加上聖靈的印記        站在天堂上帝面前

While we are not told explicitly in Scripture that the 144,000 Jews are God’s special witnesses, and that the Gentile host is saved through their ministry, this appears to be a logical deduction; otherwise, why are they associated in this chapter? The parallel with Matthew 24:14 also indicates that the 144,000 will witness for the Lord during the tribulation.                                                        雖然聖經沒有明確告訴 144,000 名猶太人，是上帝的特別見證人，外邦人通過他們的事工得救，但這似乎是合乎邏輯的推論；否則，為什麼它們會出顯在本章中，並與其有關聯？與馬太福音 24 章 14 節有相似之處，也表明 144,000 人將在大災難中為主作見証。 

The sealed Jews (vv. 1–8). Angels are associated with the forces of nature: the wind (Rev. 7:1), fire (Rev. 14:18), and water (Rev. 16:5). Stopping the winds implies a “lull before the storm.” God controls all of nature. During the day of His wrath, He will use the forces of nature to judge mankind. The phrase “four corners of the earth” is no more “unscientific” here than it is in Isaiah 11:12 or the daily newspaper.                                                                                                                      受印封嚴的猶太人（1-8 等節）。天使與自然的力量有關：風（啟示錄  7:1）、火（啟示錄 14:18）和水（啟示錄 16:5）。風停意味著“暴風雨前的平靜”。上帝控制著整個自然。在祂發怒的日子裡，祂會用自然的力量來審判人。 “地球的四個角落”這個短語在這裡並不比以賽亞書 11章12節 或每日的報紙報導的更“不科學”。 

In Scripture, a seal indicates ownership and protection. Today, God’s people are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13–14). This is God’s guarantee that we are saved and safe, and that He will one day take us to heaven. The 144,000 Jews will receive the Father’s name as their seal (Rev. 14:1), in contrast to the “mark of the beast” that Antichrist will give those who follow him (Rev. 13:17; 14:11; 16:2; 19:20).                                                                                                                        在聖經中，  印記表示主權和保障。今天，上帝的子民受聖靈印記（以弗所書  13-14）。這是上帝對我們得救和安全的保證，祂有一天會帶我們去天堂。 144,000 名猶太人將接受天父名字作為他們的印記（啟示錄  14:1），與敵基督將給予跟隨他的人的“獸的印記”形成對比（啟示錄  13:17；14:11；16： 2；19:20)。 

This seal will protect these chosen Jews from the judgments that will “hurt the earth and the sea” (Rev. 7:2), and occur when the first four angels blow their trumpets (Rev. 8). The judgments are intensified when the horrible locusts are released from the pit (Rev. 9:1–4). Protected from these awesome judgments, the 144,000 will be able to do their work and glorify the Lord.                          這印記將保護被選中的猶太人免受，在前四位天使吹號時發生的，“地球和海洋傷害”（啟示錄  7:2）的審判（啟示錄  第8章）。當可怕的蝗蟲從坑中釋放出來時，審判會更加劇烈（啟示錄  9:1-4）。免受這些可怕的審判，144,000 人將能夠完成他們的工作並榮耀主。 

In every age, God has had His faithful remnant. Elijah thought he was alone, but God had 7,000 who were yet faithful to Him (1 Kings 19:18). The sealing described in Revelation 7 certainly has its background in Ezekiel 9:1–7, where the faithful were sealed before God’s judgment fell. So, while these 144,000 Jews are an elect people in the last days with a special task from God, they also symbolize God’s faithful elect in every age of history.                                                                  在每個時代，上帝都有祂忠實的餘民。以利亞認為上帝是孤獨的，但祂有 7,000 人仍然忠於祂（列王紀上  19:18）。啟示錄 7 章所描述的印記當然有以西結書 9 章 1-7 等節的背景，那裡的信徒在上帝的審判降臨之前就打上印記了。因此，雖然這 144,000 名猶太人是末世的選民，肩負著上帝的特殊任務，但他們也像徵著上帝在各個歷史時代忠心的選民。 

The number 144,000 is significant because it signifies perfection and completeness (144 = 12 x 12). Some see here the completeness of all God’s people: the twelve tribes of Israel (Old Testament saints) and the twelve apostles (New Testament saints). This may be a good application of this passage, but it is not the basic interpretation, for we are told that these 144,000 are all Jews, and even their tribes are named.                                                                                                            144,000 這個數字很重要，因為它表示完美和完整（144 = 12 x 12）。有些人在這裡看到了所有上帝子民的整體：以色列的十二個部落（舊約聖徒）和十二使徒（新約聖徒）。這可能是對這段經文的很好的應用，但它不是基本的解釋，因為我們知道這 144,000 人都是猶太人，甚至他們的支派都命名了。 

A man once told me he was one of the 144,000; so I asked him, “To which tribe do you belong, and can you prove it?” Of course, he could not prove it, no more than a Jew today can prove the tribe from which he or she descended. The genealogical records have all been destroyed. Even the fact that ten of the tribes were taken by the Assyrians and “lost” is no problem to God. He knows His people and their whereabouts (see Matt. 19:28; Acts 26:7; James 1:1).                                                曾經有人告訴我，他是 144,000 人中的一員；於是我問他，“你屬於猶太人的哪個支派，你能證明嗎？”當然，他無法證明，就像今天的猶太人無法證明他或她是來自的那個部落一樣。家譜記錄已全部銷毀。甚至十個支派被亞述人佔領，並且家譜“丟失”，這對上帝來說沒有關係。祂知道祂的子民和他們的下落（見  馬太福音  19:28；使徒行傳 26:7；雅各書  1:1）。 

This is not to say that our literal interpretation of this passage is not without problems. Why is Levi included when it had no inheritance with the other tribes (Num. 18:20–24; Josh. 13:14)? Why is Joseph named but not his son Ephraim, who is usually con[1]nected with his brother Manasseh? Finally, why is the tribe of Dan omitted here and yet included in Ezekiel’s list for the apportionment of the land (Ezek. 48:1)? Many suggestions have been made, but we do not know the answers. Even if we interpreted this passage in a spiritual sense (i.e., Israel is the church), we would be no more certain. We must permit God to know “the secret things,” and not allow our ignorance of them to hinder us from obeying what we do know (Deut. 29:29).                                  這並不是說對這段經文的字面解釋並非沒有問題。當利未與其他部落沒有繼承權時，為什麼包括在內（民數記  18:20-24；約書亞記  13:14）？為什麼名叫約瑟的，而不是他的兒子以法蓮，他通常與他的兄弟瑪拿西有聯繫？最後，為什麼但支派在這裡被省略，卻被列入以西結支派的土地分配名單上（以西結  48:1）？已經提出了許多建議，但我們不知道答案。即使我們從屬靈的意義上解釋這段經文（就是，以色列是教會），我們也不會更確定。我們必須讓上帝知道“祂隱密的事”，而不是讓我們因對它們的無知，阻礙我們順服所知道的事（申命記   29:29）。 

The saved Gentiles (vv. 9–17). You cannot read the book of Revelation without developing a global outlook, for the emphasis is on what God does for people in the whole world. The Lamb died to redeem people “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev. 5:9). The great multitudes pictured here came from “all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev. 7:9). “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” was our Lord’s mandate (Mark 16:15).                                                                                                                                            得救的外邦人（9-17 等節）。如果沒有俱備發展全球的視野，你就無法閱讀啟示錄，因為重點是上帝為全世界人民所做的事。羔羊的死是為了“從各方言、各鄉、各國、各民族中”救贖人（啟 5:9）。這裡所描繪的眾多來自“各國、各族、各民族、各方言”（啟示錄   7:9）。 “你們往普天下去，將福音傳給一切受造之物”是我們主賜給的大使命（馬可福音  16:15）。 

There is no doubt as to who this multitude is, because one of the elders explained it to John (Rev. 7:14): they are Gentiles who have been saved through faith in Christ during the tribulation. (We will meet this same group again in Rev. 14.) While today, in most parts of the world, it is relatively easy to confess Christ, this will not be the case during the tribulation, at least during the last half of it. Then, unless persons wear the “mark of the beast,” they will not be able to buy or sell, and this would leave them without even life’s bare necessities. Revelation 7:16 indicates that they suffered hunger (see Rev. 13:17), thirst (see Rev. 16:4), and lack of shelter. (On the heat of the sun, see Rev. 16:8–9.)                                                                                                                                            對這群人是誰應該毫無疑問，因為其中一位長老向約翰解釋過（啟示錄  7:14）：他們是在大災難期間因信基督而得救的外邦人。 （我們將在  啟示錄 14 章  再次見到同一群人。）雖然今天在世界的大部分地區，承認基督比較容易，但在大災難期間可不是這樣，至少在大災難的後半段不是這樣。然後，除非人戴上“獸的印記”，否則他們將無法買賣，這將導致他們甚至缺乏生活必需品。啟示錄 7章16節表明他們遭受飢餓（見     啟示錄  13:17）、口渴（見  啟示錄 16:4）和缺乏住所。 （關於太陽的高溫，見  啟 16：8-9。）

The fact that they are standing before the throne and not seated around it indicates that these people are not identified with the twenty-four elders. In fact, John himself did not know who they were! If they had been Old Testament believers, or the church, John have recognized them. That the elder had to tell John who they were suggests that they are a special people, which, indeed, they are.                                                                                                                                                      他們站在寶座前，而不是坐在寶座周圍，這表明這些人與二十四位長老並不認同。事實上，約翰自己也不知道他們是誰！如果他們是舊約信徒或教會，約翰已經認出了他們。長老必須告訴約翰他們是誰，這表明他們是一個特殊的民族，事實上，他們是。 

Of course, in the heavenly city (Rev. 21—22), all distinctions will cease and we shall all simply be the people of God in glory. But while God is working out His program in human history, distinctions still exist between the Jews, the Gentiles, the church, and the tribulation saints.            當然，在天上的城市（啟示錄  21-22），所有的區別都會消失，我們都將在榮耀中成為上帝的子民。但是，當上帝在人類歷史上作祂的計劃時，猶太人、外邦人、教會和患難聖徒之間仍然存在區別。 

John gave a beautiful description of these people.                                                                                約翰對這些人進行了優美的描述。 

First, they were accepted, for they stood before God’s throne and the Lamb. No doubt they had been rejected on earth for they stood for truth at a time when lies were popular and Satan was in charge. Their white robes and palms symbolize victory: they were true overcomers! The Jews used palm branches at their Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:40–43), which was a special time of national rejoicing.                                                                                                                                      首先，他們被接納，因為他們站在上帝的寶座和羔羊面前。毫無疑問，他們在世上被拒絕了，因為他們在謊言盛行且撒旦掌權的時代站在真理這一邊。他們的白色長袍和手掌象徵著勝利：他們是真正的得勝者！猶太人在他們的住棚節使用棕櫚枝（利未記  23:40-43），這民族歡慶的特殊節期。 

Then, they were joyful. They sang praises to the Father and to the Lamb, and their worship was joined by all those who surrounded the throne.                                                                                    然後，他們很高興。他們歌頌天父和羔羊，所有圍繞寶座的人都加入了他們的崇拜。 

Third, they were rewarded. They had the privilege of being before God’s throne and of serving Him. When God’s people get to heaven, there will be work to do! We shall be able to serve Him perfectly! The Lamb will shepherd us and satisfy us with every good thing (see Isa. 49:10; Rev. 21:4).                                                                                                                                                          第三，他們得到了獎勵。他們有幸在上帝的寶座前侍奉祂。當上帝的子民到天堂時，會有工作要做！我們將能夠完美地侍奉祂！羔羊會牧養我們，使我們滿足一切美好的事物（見  以賽亞書  49:10；啟示錄  21:4）。 

The opening of the seventh seal will introduce the seven “trumpet judgments” (Rev. 8—11) and the wrath of God will increase both in intensity and scope. But before that occurs, we are assured that in His wrath, God will remember mercy (Hab. 3:2). Despite the wrath of God and the terror inspired by Satan and his helpers, multitudes will be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter what the age or dispensation. God’s way of salvation has always been the same: faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.                                                                                                                揭開第七印將引入第七“號角審判”（啟示錄  8-11），上帝的忿怒在強度和範圍上都會增加。但在那之前，我們確信在祂的憤怒中，上帝會記念憐憫（哈巴谷   3:2）。儘管上帝的忿怒和撒旦及其助手所激發的恐懼，許多人將藉由耶穌基督的寶血得救。不管是什麼年代，什麼配合。上帝的救恩方式始終如一：相信上帝的羔羊耶穌基督。 

Sad to say, however, multitudes during that time will also reject the Savior and trust “the beast.” But are there not people today who prefer Satan to Christ and this world to the world to come? They are just as condemned as the tribulation sinners who receive the “mark of the beast.”            然而，可悲的是，在那時，許多人也會拒絕救主，而相信“野獸”。但是在今天難道還有人寧願要撒旦而捨棄基督，寧願要世界勝過來世嗎？  在大災難中接受“獸印記”的罪人一樣受到譴責。 

If you have never trusted the Savior, do so now.                                                                                      如果你從未相信過救主，現在就相信。

 If you have trusted Him, then share the good news of salvation with others that they might be delivered from the wrath to come。                                                                                                                                                                                           如果你已經信靠祂，那麼就與他人分享救恩的好消息，使他們可以從未來的忿怒中解脫出來。